


Summertime and the livin' is easy

by Lifeandothercomplexities



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: #riverdaleevents, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Friendly banter, Mild Smut, Summer Jobs, Will add tags along the way, bughead - Freeform, camp riverdale, slight mentions of recreational drug use, trope friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-09-06 05:16:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20286022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lifeandothercomplexities/pseuds/Lifeandothercomplexities
Summary: It's summer and Betty Cooper wants to live a little, away from her newly divorced bickering parents and the constant stress of overachieving. Her best friends are gone for the holidays and she unexpectedly finds herself sharing a job at the local movie theatre with a loner, sarcastic Southsider who actually seems to enjoy her company.Or the one where Betty and Jughead share a job, pop corn and some body fluids over the summer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jjonesin4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjonesin4/gifts), [KittiLee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittiLee/gifts), [dsvridiculousfangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsvridiculousfangirl/gifts).

> Hi everyone. This is a fun idea I just had to explore because of the tropefest going on during camp riverdale. This work will have much shorter chapters and I'll be updating every two or three days hopefully..it's not that long and I've nearly written the whole thing so it won't take long to conclude:) I hope you guys enjoy this for the fun piece it (hopefully!!) is.
> 
> Title from Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald.

The summer before junior high when she turns seventeen and the days are long and hot and endless, Betty Cooper finds herself with ample amounts of one thing she has never had before in all the years she can think back to in memory.

Time.

Wonderful glorious minutes upon minutes and hours upon hours of free time. 

At the beginning of that summer her mother finds out that Hal has been cheating on her for the better part of a year. She kicks him out and files for a divorce. The journey for their picture perfect family to implosion happens so quickly that it gives Betty whiplash. She watches most of it happen with a detached sort of fascination, as the perfectly curated walls of her parents’ farce of a marriage crumble to reveal the rotten foundations underneath. 

It’s a relief really, the final end to that long drawn out cold war. At least in the end they can all be honest. Betty’s gotten so sick of the constant act that she can’t bring herself to really feel any kind of grief or regret. Maybe some people are just better versions of them selves when they’re not together. Case in point her parents. She wonders sometimes if this is even normal, if she should be more devastated. Maybe she’s a sociopath, that may just explain why she can’t feel anything about this rather miserable change other than a sense of peace at how quiet it is in the house compared to before, when her mother’s aggressive smashing of plates and yelling was matched by her father’s passive slamming of doors.

Polly, who is already set to leave for college at the end of summer with her long term boyfriend Jason escapes to Thorn hill on most days, mainly to avoid her mother’s constant nagging but also because she feels resentful towards both Alice and inexplicably Betty. Alice because she has finally called it quits with Hal. And Betty ( as far as Betty has been able to work out) because she does not feel the same degree of mad at her mother over the divorce as Polly does. But Polly had always been a little more in love with the idea of their perfect picket fence house and cookie cutter family than she had. Even if it was just a caricature. And now that it’s gone down the gutter Polly’s been giving both of them a wide berth.

Her mother’s bemoaning her absence even now as they eat a healthy breakfast of egg whites and grapefruit, a routine that has not suffered any change in the light of the recent developments. 

“ I can’t believe your sister. She’s behaving so irrationally.” Alice says as she sips her coffee,” Running around with that boy, sneaking off to see Hal. I can’t believe she’d go behind my back like that.”

Betty continues to eat her grapefruit without making comment. It’s safer like that these days. She’s never too sure what might trigger her mother. 

“ Anyway, since your sister is hell bent on wasting her time I was wondering when you’d like to join at the register for your internship?”

Betty looks up in alarm, her spoon jabbed in the heart of the grapefruit.

“ Mom I don’t want to work at the register this year. We talked about this.” She says, tone pleading.

“ Why on Earth not Betty?”

“ You know why. Dad’s going to be there the whole time breathing down my neck. I so don’t wanna be the ping pong ball mom, not with you guys.”

“ Don’t be silly Betty-“ Alice starts but somehow stops at Betty’s pained expression.

“ You know how he gets mom. Please don’t make me.”

Alice sighs and sags. Betty watches the fight leave her body and slowly lets out a breath she’d been holding. This is something that’s started happening more since the divorce. Her mother puts up a fight out of force of habit but tends to give in more easily now. 

“ So where will you work if not at the register?”

Betty shrugs,” I was thinking a few shifts at Pop’s.”

Alice raises an eyebrow,” That’s your brilliant plan? You’re going to waste away your summer too working as a waitress?”

“ Mom,” Betty sighs,” I just want to take a little time off. I’ve earned it. I just need this summer to read and paint and catch up on things I want to do for myself. And a few shifts at Pop’s will fit in nicely with my schedule.”

Alice purses her lips but thankfully doesn’t get the chance to say anything since Polly makes a rather dramatic entrance at this point, accompanied by the exiting roar of what is very much Jason’s sports car. Her clothes look dishevelled and her neck has a number of very prominent hickeys on it. Betty stares at her sister with a mixture of awe and envy as her mother sputters and yells at her elder daughter.

“ Where do you think you’re going young lady!” Alice screeches as Polly makes her way unbothered towards the stairs,” You come back this second and explain your absence Pauline Cooper!”

Betty watches as Polly flips the bird in their general direction and continues on her way upstairs. Her mother bristles and Betty takes this as the cue to quietly slink out. 

“ I’ll be back by lunch.” She mutters to no one in particular and dumps the breakfast plates in the sink. Her mother’s not even listening as she thunders after Polly still yelling at her and Betty sighs. She picks up her cross body bag, puts on her sandals and makes her way out the front door before some other disaster can prevent her.

******

The walk to Pop’s is a pleasant one. She’s been doing this since the holidays started, walking to her usual spots although it’s hot and humid. There’s something about this unhurried leisurely strolling she just loves. Alice doesn’t insist on driving her everywhere now and she can’t order around her dad to do it anymore either. So mostly Betty’s been given the silent approval to walk on her own and it feels glorious. 

Her shirt is sticking to her back as she makes her way through the parking lot towards the diner door and enters to the familiar ringing of it’s bell. It’s cool inside and she makes a beeline for the counter. The juke box is playing some upbeat song. Pop waves at her with his usual warm smile as he wipes the counter clean.

“ Hello Betty, you’re just in time for breakfast.” He says cheerfully as Betty takes a seat on the high stool swinging her ponytail purposefully.” What can I get you?”

“ One of your cute little yellow uniforms and an apron Pop.” 

Pop looks confused momentarily and then his face falls.” You mean for that position I put out an advertisement for?”

“ Yeah?” Betty says unsurely,” It’s still vacant right?”

“ No Betty,” He sighs,” I already gave the job to Jughead over there. He’s been working the night shift since the last three days.” Pop gestures vaguely at a booth behind her and Betty turns around to see what he’s pointing at. There’s a group of rowdy Southsiders drinking milkshakes and creating a general racket in the otherwise nearly empty diner. 

She can’t help frowning a little even as her stomach drops. This is completely unexpected. She hadn’t planned for some random Southsider to spoil her plans like this. None of the rather ragged, scruffy looking boys look like appropriate candidates for a waitressing job...at least not compared to her. Pop seems to be thinking along the same lines as he turns to her again saying rather regretfully,” I’d have saved you the spot if I’d known Betty.”

“ That’s ok Pop.” Betty says trying to muster up a smile although it feels subdued even to her. “ I should have at least let you know I was interested. I mean it’s the summer, everyone wants a job.”

“ I’ll let you know if another spot opens up. Ethel’s applied for an arts and crafts workshop and she may quit by the end of the month.” 

Betty smiles at the old man. She doesn’t want to make him feel bad for something that’s her own fault.

“ Sure Pop.” She says brightly, picking up her bag,” thanks a lot. You let me know in case.”

“ You sure you don’t want a milkshake? It’s real hot outside.” 

“ Nah...I just had breakfast. See you around Pop.” Betty says walking backwards still looking at him. She turns around on her feet as Pop waves goodbye and comes face to face with the table occupied by the Southsiders. They’re still engrossed in whatever they were talking about before but two of them look up as she passes by. One is a rather cute looking guy with a boyish face and a snub nose and looks younger than the others. He grins at her and she looks away immediately. When she looks back he’s stuffing his face with fries and laughing at something. The other boy that had looked up is still staring at her though. He’s wearing an odd crown shaped beanie even in the heat and it strikes Betty she’s seen him before somewhere. 

There are eye bags under his lids that are so pronounced they look like bruises and she wonders if he’s the ‘Jughead’ Pop was referring to. He certainly seems like he’s stayed up all night. 

He finally looks away and there’s a small smirk on his face. She’s pretty sure now that he’s overheard her conversation with Pop and is probably gloating at beating her to the spot. What a jerk. She walks out with head held high and just as she’s exiting the parking lot, looks back at the large glass window. That boy’s staring at her again and she feels her heart beat accelerate when their eyes meet and then both of them look away simultaneously. 

Betty feels depressed and oddly thrown off with her encounter as she makes her way to the public library. There are a couple of books she wants to return and some others she wants to borrow. She’ll have to work at the register again since Pop’s is no longer an option now, Betty thinks glumly as the librarian issues her the books she’s picked out. It’s not like she doesn’t like working there-but the prospect of her constantly bickering newly divorced parents expecting her to pick sides is daunting. She’s only started speaking to Hal after a period of radio silence and she doesn’t want to spoil that tentative rebuilding towards a relationship, especially after he’d given her (what felt like) a heartfelt apology on his part for the role he played in the demise of his marriage.

She’s nearly on her way out when she catches sight of an old flyer advertising for a job at their local theatre, the Bijou. She pulls it off the wall and scans it for any last date notification. There isn’t one but Betty’s already hurrying in the direction of the theatre. It’s almost three o clock, she’s wasted her entire day wallowing and if she doesn’t have a summer job by the time she gets back home Alice is probably going to bully her into saying yes to the register internship. 

There’s a man in overalls with an electrician’s kit wiping the sweat off his forehead when she enters. The heat is stifling inside.

“ AC just broke.” The man says scowling without bothering to ask her why she’s there, “ The three pm show will play at six pm and yes you’ll get a full fucking refund if you don’t wanna turn up at six.”

Betty gapes at him then shakes her head,” Err...no I-I’m actually here for the job? You had an advertisement out? Is the spot still open?” She holds up the flyer hopefully and the man snatches it from her suspiciously.

“ Oh yeah. This. There’s a spot open for the concessions stand, evening shift. You ever worked at the theatre before?” He asks peering at her.

“ Umm...no-“ Betty replies nervously,” But I’m a fast learner. And I’m punctual and I don’t ever get sick so I won’t call in sick-like ever.”

The man raises an eyebrow and wipes his sweaty hands on his overall.

“ Come on. Jug’s got the forms at the back. And the uniforms too. He’ll be working the ticket counter and the projection booth with you.”

Betty follows him quietly wondering what or who a Jug is. They make it past the ticket counter and the concession stand and the doors leading to the theatre. There’s a grime covered door marked ‘ Employees Only’ that the man pushes open. Inside, a boy’s bent over a large carton, face turned away. He looks up irritated, sweating profusely as they walk in.

“ Hey Ernie, when is that fucking excuse for an AC-“ The boy stops mid sentence and Betty’s mouth falls open.

“ You!” She exclaims loudly and the man named Ernie narrows his eyes at her.  
“ What? You know each other?”

Betty flushes an acute shade of red at her outburst and stutters,“ No! Yes-I mean he was just at Pops!” 

The boy rolls his eyes and returns to whatever he was taking out of the box. Ernie snorts.

“ Yeah well kid, it’s a small town, It’s been known to happen before.” Ernie deadpans. Betty’s already digging up a mental grave and burying herself in it out of mortification when he says,” Just sign the form if you still want the job and take your tee shirt. You start tomorrow afternoon at two.”

Betty gulps and nods at him and he walks out, letting the door close behind him so it’s just her and the boy alone in the room. It’s no longer just the heat that’s stifling.

“ Sorry about that.” The boy says abruptly, straightening and wiping his hands on his faded jeans. He’s no longer wearing the funny looking beanie he’d been wearing at the diner thank god. His hair is inky black and wildly dishevelled. It’s a good look on him and Betty has to swallow twice before she can say anything.

“ I’m sorry about that.” She says shaking her head, emphasizing the I’m.” I don’t know why I said that.” 

“ Because I beat you to that coveted spot at Pop’s?” He says and that little smirk is back, the one from the diner and it makes her flush even more somehow. Ernie really needs to fix that goddamn AC. 

“ I’m Betty.” She says choosing to ignore his comment and he nods.

“ I’m-“

“ Jughead I know-“ 

Jughead quirks an eyebrow at her and his smile widens.

“ Pop told me. It’s a difficult name to forget.” She has no idea why she’s saying these things. It’s like his presence has destroyed all her filters or something. Jughead doesn’t seem to mind as he takes out a form from a dusty looking file and hands it to her. 

“ Read this and sign your name here,” he says pointing out the space to her and she nods,” it’s just the basic rules and job description. You can ask me if there’s something you don’t get.”

He opens a drawer in the heavy wooden table that’s placed against one of the walls and pulls out a bright striped red and white tee shirt. He holds it up for her to see.

“ Classic.” Betty says and he grins. She signs her name after reading through the form quickly and hands it back to Jughead. He tucks it back in the file and turns to Betty.

“ The AC thing isn’t a regular occurrence is it?” She asks and Jughead laughs.

“ That’s something you’ll have to find out on your own.”

“ Right. Ok. So who do I report to tomorrow at two?” She asks. She has a nagging feeling at the back of her head that she’s probably keeping him from doing his work but her mouth won’t stop moving.

Jughead shrugs.” I’ll be here. And Ernie comes around to check on us during shifts- but no one really, just wear the shirt and turn up at two. That’s all the reporting you need to do.”

“ Right.” Betty says then slowly,” Thanks Jughead. Umm...I guess I’ll go now.”

He nods and she turns around, opening the door and walking out.

“ See you tomorrow Betty Cooper.” He calls out just as the door closes shut and Betty realizes it’s too late now to turn around and ask him how he knows her name. She stands there staring at the‘ Employees only’ sign, biting her lip and struggling to make a choice. She eventually decides she’s too much of a coward to walk back in and leaves through the main exit. 

The prospect of telling her mother that she’s now employed at the Bijou and not at Pop’s isn’t particularly pleasant. Add to the fact that she’ll be working next to a Southsider who goes by the name of Jughead and apparently knows more about her than she’d thought at first. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Betty closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath. It’s going to be a long summer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter folks. So this is turning out to be a slowish burn, but I'm having fun exploring how awkward teenagers can get;)...Join in!! 
> 
> Also to those of you who've worked at a movie theatre before, many apologies for anything I may have stated wrong regarding the work schedule and routine. This is completely based on stuff I read off the internet:p

Betty wakes up to the prospect of her new job with a headache. It’s 8:15 am and although it’s one hour earlier then her usual routine she feels completely wide awake. She gets out of bed sighing and walks in to the adjoining bathroom. 

There’s a little pimple beginning to form on her forehead and she groans at her reflection in the mirror. Great. Just great. It’s exactly what she needed. She pees and then strips, stepping into the shower. The water is cool against the constant heat her skin seems to emit these days. She takes her time shampooing and conditioning her hair and then shaves her arms and legs. Her skin may be in a treacherous mood but she wants to look nothing short of perfect for her first day at work. Ok maybe not perfect. Good. She wants to look good. 

Back in her room Betty puts on a faded t-shirt and sweatpants. Her mother disapproves of most of her comfy clothes for how ‘ratty’ they’ve gotten but it’s not like she could get any madder at her after last night’s screaming match. Boy had it gotten out of hand. She’d forgotten how tenacious her mother could get at times. 

Betty shudders. 

It’s 8:45 and as much as she wants to she can’t avoid Alice all day. Might as well go down for breakfast. She slips out of her bedroom barefoot and quietly walks down to the kitchen. It’s bright and sunny and she can tell it’s going to be just as hot as yesterday. The marbled kitchen floor feels delightfully cool against her bare feet.

There’s no sign of her mom so she takes out the cereal and helps herself to a hearty bowl, mixed in with some sliced bananas. She’s almost finished when Polly walks in, hair sticking out at odd angles and face puffy from sleep.

“ Where’s mom?” she asks yawning and stretching. She seems to be in a good mood which is a rarity these days. Betty shrugs,” Upstairs. Still asleep probably.”

“ Oh yeah? What was it? One too many glasses of her favourite red?” Polly quips sarcastically and her resemblance to their mother is so uncanny, Betty has to forcefully smother her laugh. It’s doubtful Polly will appreciate the joke just now. 

Polly takes out orange juice from the fridge and drinks some directly from the carton. It’s like she’s bent on ruffling Alice’s feathers even in her absence. Betty just shakes her head as her sister takes a seat across her.

“ So I heard you’ll be selling pop corn at the Bijou.” She says and there’s a grin on her face. A wave of nostalgia washes over Betty. She misses her sister so much, this fun loving, happy version of her. The moody resentful girl who greets her on most days now is a complete stranger. 

“ Yeah.” Betty says sighing,” The whole neighbourhood heard it.”

“ Well I think it’s great. It’s better than working at Pop’s in this heat. And you’ll get to watch movies for free. Tanya worked there last summer and she said it was the best fun.” 

Betty shrugs and then sneaks a glance at her sister.” You’re in a good mood.” She says tentatively.

Polly smiles secretively and swallows some more juice,” Yeah well...I’m just-trying to put this whole thing behind me-I guess it’s time we moved on,” she pauses a little and suddenly reaches out to squeeze Betty’s hand,” Hey I’m sorry-you know for-just being a bitch these last few weeks I guess...”

A lump forms in Betty’s throat and her eyes feel misty suddenly. She doesn’t know what to say. Polly’s been so withdrawn and cold towards her lately, it feels like too much of a gap to fill with an apology over breakfast. She wants her sister to sit down and pour her heart out to her so they can figure out this mess together. She doesn’t want an apology that sounds patronizing at best.

Her mother saves her the trouble of answering as she enters the kitchen groaning and looking worse for wear. She pauses and attempts to raise an eyebrow at Polly.

“ Oh look who decided to grace us with...Oh my god my head!” Alice bends over clutching her head. Betty looks at Polly who just rolls her eyes.

“ Oh my head hurts.” She says again on a pitiful sigh and Betty jumps up from her stool, pulling Alice towards a chair.

“ Just sit down mom. I’ll make you coffee.” She pulls open a drawer and takes out the medicine kit. She gives Alice some aspirin and a glass of chilled water while Polly continues to stare at their mother with a little smile on her lips.

“ Stop looking so smug young lady.” Alice says, voice sounding nasally,” We’re going to have a long conversation you and I once my head gets better.”

“ And you-“ She continues pointing at Betty,” I hope you’re reconsidering your rash decision.”

Betty grimaces.” No.” She says hunching her shoulders defensively. 

Alice closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Betty’s gearing up for another fight when she simply says,” It’s eight hours Betty. I’m not letting you walk back home alone at ten each night.”

“ I’ll pick her up,” Polly pipes up immediately and Alice narrows her eyes at her muttering,” Of course you will.”

Betty turns wide hopeful eyes towards her sister, heart thumping loudly,” You’d do that Pol?” 

“ Of course. I can even drop you off every day if you want.”

“ Thanks Polly, I can walk there but It would be so cool if you’d pick me up.” She says smiling and it’s hard to mask the relief in her voice. Polly smiles back. This feels like more of an apology than the verbal one and Betty is grateful for it.

“ Well.” Alice says sipping the coffee Betty’s set before her,” I suppose there’s no point now in reminding you what a silly decision this is.”

Betty crosses her fingers behind her back as Polly winks at her. 

Alice sighs again.

“ Well I’m off to get ready for work. There’s a tuna salad in the fridge for you Betty. You’ll eat it before you go. I don’t want you snacking on the popcorn you sell. Got it?”

“ Got it.” 

Alice gets up taking her coffee with her and it’s unnerving how put together she looks already. Betty’s never seen any one snap back from the effects of a hangover the way her mother does. 

“ I better go take a shower,” Polly says getting up too,” We’re driving to Greendale to pick out curtains for Jason’s apartment. I’ll be back in time to pick you up.” Betty smiles and nods as her sister walks upstairs. The morning has turned out to be a lot better than she’d anticipated. Her mother has backed off and her sister’s talking to her again. So far so good.

******

The rest of the morning passes in a blur. She paints her toes a bright pink and then watches you tube videos on how to work a concession stand. One of the vlogs tells her she should wear khakis and closed toe shoes with her allotted tee shirt. She’d been planning on wearing a pair of sandals and she’s so relieved she watched the video and knows better now. 

Betty takes another shower at 1, changes into a pair of khakis she owns that are quite new (thank god!) and a plain white tee. The red tee shirt goes in her bag along with her deodorant, basic makeup kit and some soft mints. She pulls her hair into a tight pony tail , brushes on some mascara and puts on her favourite lip gloss. It’s an overall pleasing look. Efficient and friendly. She wonders for the tiniest second what Jughead would think of this look and then spends the next fifteen minutes steadfastly refusing to acknowledge that she’s had a thought about him.

The tuna salad is difficult on her taste buds but she swallows down each bite thinking she owes it to her mother for finally relenting about her job despite being hungover. At exactly 1:30 pm Betty exits through the red front door and purposefully walks towards her new work place praying desperately she doesn’t sweat like a pig.

She’s slightly out of breath by the time she reaches the Bijou, still fifteen minutes early. Inside it’s much cooler than yesterday. Ernie’s efforts seem to have paid off. There’s no sign of him or Jughead for that matter but there’s a girl about her age wearing the same red shirt as the one in her bag and skinny jeans, clearing up a mess with a broom and dust pan. She has bright pink hair. The effect is eye popping and ridiculously pretty on her. 

“ Hi,” she says looking up at Betty,” Show doesn’t start till 2:30. You can get tickets at the counter in another fifteen minutes.”

“ Umm...no. I’m the newbie,” Betty takes out her tee, holding it up to show the girl,” Ernie gave me the spot for the concession stand.”

“ Oh right. You’re Betty.” The girl says, suddenly looking a lot more interested in her,” I’m Toni Topaz. I work the morning shift. That’s Dilton over there. Yo Dilton!”

Dilton looks up and Betty waves at him. 

“ Hey Betty,” he calls out,” you’re working at the Bijou?”

“ Yeah-“

“ Oh right, you guys know each other of course.” Toni remarks interrupting her.

Betty wouldn’t go so far as to say she knows Dilton Doily (his own mother probably doesn’t know him that well) but yeah, they’re both Northsiders, they go to the same school and share English and AP Math.

“ You’re not working the register this year?” Dilton asks, strolling over casually. Betty shakes her head, hoping he won’t ask her any follow up questions. She doesn’t get to find out though. Jughead enters through the main door looking if possible even more dishevelled than he had yesterday. His weird beanie is back. 

“ Hey Jug!” Toni says loudly and he looks up suddenly from his phone, his eyes scanning the hallway and landing on her. Betty feels a funny jolt for the fraction of a second they linger on her. 

“ Hey.” He says to no one in particular as he walks up to them.

“ I swear to god I’m going to burn your goddamn beanie one of these days Jones.” Toni says dramatically,” I’m getting a heat stroke just looking at you.”

“ Relax your face Toni.” Jughead counters grinning at her, then adds,” So I see you met with our new recruit.” 

“ Yep.” Toni says popping the p. 

“ Nice khakis.” He says turning to Betty. His face is completely impassive but Betty has a sinking feeling she’s at the receiving end of a joke.

“ Thanks.” She says a little unsurely,” I watched a tutorial-“

“ You did? Of course you did.”

Toni snorts, and Betty feels a hot flush creep up her neck. She’s made a complete idiot of herself. She couldn’t have kept her mouth shut. Jughead has that little smirk on his face again and she feels so betrayed suddenly. He’ll be working the shift with her. He’s supposed to help her with stuff. Not stand around and make fun of her with his friends.

There is nothing wrong with her khakis. 

She’s not the one wearing a stupid woollen hat in the middle of summer. 

Dilton thankfully decides he’s had enough of the three of them as he takes off his uniform shirt right there, standing in the middle of the hallway.

“ Dude!” Toni yells at him,” Go change in a room.”

“ Fuck off Topaz,” Dilton grins at her flexing his arms,” it’s not like you haven’t seen the goods before.”

Toni makes a puking face and shows him the finger. Betty is fascinated with this version of Dilton. She’s never seen him actually talking to people before unless it’s to prove a point. And here he is fooling around with Southside kids like they’re old friends.

Both Toni and Dilton leave together shortly, still bickering. Dilton’s wearing a shirt again thank god. Just as they’re exiting Toni turns around and calls out,” I’ll pick you up for Pop’s at ten!”

“ Sure.” Jughead calls back and just like that they’re gone. The hallway is suddenly way too quiet for how loud their voices had been just a minute ago. She looks at him out of the corner of her eye.

“ Come on I’ll show you where you can change your shirt. We better get started at the counter. It’s almost time.”

She nods and follows him quietly. He’s taller than her by almost a foot and lean, in a startlingly attractive way. Betty shakes her head and breathes deeply. She needs to focus on other things. 

Jughead points towards a room and she goes inside locking the door. It’s a storage room of sorts with a number of worn out lockers along the wall. She should ask Jughead if he can allot her one. It might be a good idea to keep an extra change of clothes and shoes here.

Outside Jughead’s already changed in to his work clothes; the same red tee shirt and a pair of dark jeans with a name tag around his neck, wiping the counter. He beckons her over and hands her a tag with her name on it. She puts it on immediately.

“ So I’ll give you a demo of all the machines and then you can get started while I work the ticket counter.”

“ Ok.” Betty replies looking between all the machines she’s supposed to work nervously.

He walks over to the pop corn machine first.

“ Betty say hello to your new best friend.” Jughead stage whispers, waving his hands in front of her, tone faux serious and Betty laughs.

“ Hello new best friend.”

Jughead nods his head in approval and starts the demonstration.

“ Ok so just plug this cord in here,” he says as he plugs in the cord and turns on the switch,” make sure to turn on these buttons here, all three of them and let it preheat for about 10 minutes.”

He proceeds to demonstrate through the rest of the process making a fresh batch of popcorn with an easy kind of efficiency that she finds mesmerising to watch. He’s probably done it a million times before and Betty wonders if this is really as easy as he makes it look.

They go through the same process with the soda machine, the nachos and the candy, with Jughead explaining basic protocol for each type of food, the packaging and finally working the cash register.

“ I’ll be just down there in the ticket booth so call me over anytime you need help. It’s not much work once the movie starts.”

“ Ok.” She says looking doubtfully at the first person who enters, a woman in her twenties with two kids. Jughead‘s gone the next second to give them tickets and Betty waits with a smile on her lips and nerves in her tummy as she watches the lady approach.

She gets a small bucket of pop corn and some candies and soda and Betty is relieved that her hands don’t shake as much as she’d feared as she hands the woman her receipt. 

Not a lot of people turn up for the first show and she relaxes a little. Jughead keeps flitting between his booth and her counter helping her out, here and there and then disappears through the doors leading to the theatre to work the projection booth. She has no idea how he does it all. 

He joins her again fifteen minutes later.

“ I think I’ll have to blow up my head if I watch The lion King one more time.” He says walking up to her as she wipes the counter clean for the hundredth time (probably).

Betty smiles widely at him.” I kind of liked it but the animation is way better.”

“ Yeah.” 

“ So how’d you know my name?” She asks suddenly. He looks up confused.

“ Your name?”

“ Yeah- I didn’t tell you my name was Betty Cooper.”

A slow smile spreads on his face.” It’s not. It’s Elizabeth Cooper. And I know because you signed your name on the form remember?”

Any fantasy she may have been harbouring as to why or how he might have known her name flies out of the proverbial window. She clears her throat and tries to swallow the lingering disappointment.

“ Right.” Then because she can’t help it,” What’s yours?”

“ Jughead.” 

“ That’s a nick name.”

“ It’s the preferred name.” He says raising his eyebrow,” I’d have to kill you if I told you the real one.”

She blinks at him several times waiting for a punch line but it doesn’t come and she realizes with a jolt he’s not joking. 

“ How long have you worked here?” 

“ Two years now.”

She nods.” You like it? Working here?”

Jughead shrugs.” I get to see movies as a living. Works for me.”

“ What’s your favourite film?”

Jughead narrows his eyes at her,” I feel like I’m the unwitting participant in a game of twenty questions.”

Betty giggles. “ I’m just trying to get to know my co worker. It’s good work etiquette.”

“ Yeah?” Jughead asks,” Did you see a tutorial about that too?”

There’s a teasing note in his voice and Betty can’t help but think she dug her own grave here. She smiles begrudgingly.

“ It’s good to be prepared.” 

Jughead barks out a laugh and his eyes crinkle at the edges and Betty feels torn between feeling pleased that she’s actually made him laugh and frustrated that it’s at her expense.

The afternoon drags on slowly. Jughead disappears every now and then to check on things. He’s constantly moving around and Betty finds herself following him. He catches her staring multiple times and every time that happens she flushes, looks away and tells herself to behave. And then she stares at him again.

There’s just something about him. He has this nervous kind of energy that seems to bounce off the floor when he walks. She doesn’t know if that even makes sense but Betty has spent her entire life practicing self control and there’s something about his quietly alert, calculated movement that screams out to her.

He walks over to her and she immediately pretends to be texting someone.

“ You can take a break if you want.” He says leaning his elbows over the counter. Betty looks up from her phone.

“ A break?” 

“ Yeah. It’s the second half. No one will be moving before the movie ends. I can manage on my own.”

“ I’m not really tired.” Betty says hesitantly. She doesn’t want to break any rules on the first day. What if someone comes for a pop corn refill and Jughead’s somewhere else.

“ It’s ok Cooper.” Jughead says like he can read her mind,” No one’s going to report you. Come on I’ll show you the spot we have.”

He’s already walking towards a staircase and Betty throws a furtive glance around and then follows him. She hates how nervous she’s feeling. He’s been working here for a long time and it’s only her first day. It’s not good behaviour on her part.

“ Hey you coming?” Jughead calls out from somewhere above her and she speeds up, taking two steps at a time.

“ Yeah!” She says almost breathlessly and still running turns a sharp corner colliding with a warm body head on.

“ Oof..” Jughead grunts falling over as she trips and then falls on top of him. 

If there was aa genie that could grant her magical powers, this would be the moment to usher him and make her disappear in to thin air. Jughead looks like he’s had the wind knocked out of him thoroughly.

“ Sorry!” Betty yelps springing up like she’s been burned,” I’m so so sorry!”

Jughead’s still sprawled out on the floor and he pushes himself up on his elbows as she dusts her clothes and then cheeks still burning holds out a hand to help him. He gives her a lop sided grin and takes her hand, getting up finally.

“ You pack quite a punch Cooper.” He says still grinning and she can feel her neck grow hotter as she lets his hand drop from hers. What a total mess. He’s probably going to laugh about this with Toni and his other friends later. Poor bumbling boring Betty with her stupid khakis and her clumsy ways. 

Jughead snaps his fingers in front of her,” Earth to Betty.”

“ I’m really sorry Jughead. I should have seen you there-“ She begins in a strangled voice and he laughs out.

“ Hey it’s fine-“ he says and then winking adds” I can think of worse ways to be tackled than by a pretty girl.”

Her mouth falls open as her eyes fly towards his face but Jughead’s already walking away again towards a door. She gulps and follows him, still reeling from the shock of both the fall and his comment.

He pushes the door open and lets her pass. It’s a small balcony with all kinds of things dumped on one side but it’s a nice view and the wind feels cool on her face.

“ This is where we come to smoke weed.” Jughead tells her seriously and at her shocked look snorts and adds,” Don’t worry Cooper you’ll learn all the rituals in good time.”

She nods and they stand there quietly looking out across the street. She’s still feeling embarrassed about their fall and wonders what he’s thinking.

“ So you didn’t tell me what your favourite movie was.” Betty remarks more out of her need to fill the silence than anything really.

“ I don’t tell people my favourite movie unless they buy me a burger first,” Jughead says with that same smirk,” but I saw Midsommar last month when they screened it here. That was a memorable watch.”

Betty grimaces,” Isn’t it like a horror flick?”

“ Yeah.”

Betty shakes her head.

“ What?”

“ I don’t do horror.”

Jughead looks at her sceptically,” Like ever?”

“ Nope. It’s just not my thing.”

“ You wound me Cooper.” He says sighing dramatically and she rolls her eyes but then suddenly remembers.

“ No wait! I saw A nightmare on Elm Street. Like the original version way back. It scarred me for life.” 

Jughead tuts and shakes his head,” That’s just pathetic Betty.”

She swats him on the arm,” I can do gore ok! Give me all the gore. I bet I’ve seen more gore films than you have!”

“ Ok...what’s the most under rated gore film of all time?”

She narrows her eyes at him,” I feel like that’s a trick question-“

“ The clock is ticking Betty-“ Jughead sing songs and a bubbly giggle escapes her.

“ Ok wait,” she says holding up her finger excitedly, ” I’ve got this! Grindhouse...the Tarantino, Rodriguez double feature-have you seen it?”

Jughead’s goes very still and his eyes are so intensely focused on her suddenly that it sort of makes it difficult to breathe. She has the terrifying thought that she’s offended him somehow and she tries desperately to work her mouth to say something.

“ You like Tarantino?” he asks beating her to it and strangely enough it’s his voice that sounds strangled.

“ Yeah. Who doesn’t?”

“ Not a lot of girls I know.” He says quietly and Betty wonders if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but before she can actually ask him he adds,” You’re full of surprises Cooper.” 

The tone of his voice makes it clear he means it in a good way.

******

The second show attracts a bigger audience than the first and Betty hardly gets to sit as she helps Jughead in his duties as usher, ticket booth runner and projectionist. More people turn up for refills during the intermission since this is a thriller and this time Jughead joins her behind the counter, helping out with the orders and working the cash register.

Ernie also shuffles in around six thirty and looks completely surprised when she says hi.

“ Who’re you?” he asks rather rudely and Jughead saves her the misery of answering when he says,” The new recruit Ern. You hired her yesterday remember?”

“ Oh. Yeah. She any good?”

Betty is highly affronted by his question. He’s not even bothering to address her directly.

“ She’s great Ern. Just do your thing. We’ve got it covered here.” 

“ What a jerk.” Betty fumes the minute he’s gone and Jughead just shrugs making a non committal sound.

She’s exhausted by 9:30 when the movie finally ends. Jughead disappears inside the theatre again to usher people out while she waits patiently inquiring from passers by if they’d like a soda or candy. No body pays her much attention though and it’s a relief when the last person walks out finally.

Jughead calls out to her brandishing a broom and dust pan from the doorway.

“ We need to clean up before the next show starts.” 

“ Ok.” She says immediately walking up to him and following him inside the now well lit theatre. It takes them another twenty minutes to clear up and she calls Polly the minute she’s disposed off the trash and placed her broom in a small broom closet that Jughead shows her.

“ I’m on my way.” Polly sing songs over the phone and she hangs up feeling grateful towards her sister in a whole new light now that her feet feel like they’re about to drop off.

The two boys who work the last shift arrive and take over. They introduce themselves and Betty musters up a parting smile as she trudges towards the changing room. Jughead’s nowhere in sight and she figures she might as well get changed. She pushes the door open and realizes too late Jughead’s already inside with his shirt off, in the process of pulling on the other one. Her mouth goes dry at the sight of his olive toned skin, a trail of coarse dark hair disappearing under the waist band of his jeans.

“ Shit!” She exclaims turning around in dismay,” I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to walk in on you.”

Jughead mumbles,” It’s fine.” Then a minute later clears his throat saying,” You can turn around.”

She doesn’t really meet his eyes as he brushes past her leaving her alone to smack herself on the head.

“ Idiot!” She whispers to herself vehemently, pulling off her tee shirt and pulling on the white one from her bag,” Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”

When she walks back out, Toni’s waiting at the concession stand talking to one of the boys, dressed in a crop top and skirt with fish net stockings while simultaneously typing away at her phone. Betty feels like an ogre next to her. The girl is stunning to put it mildly. She looks up as Betty walks up to her.

“ Hey.” She says brightly putting away her phone,” How was it?”

Betty shrugs,” Ok I guess. I’m just ready to pass out on my bed now.”

Toni’s about to say something when Jughead comes out of the storage room. He’s got a plaid shirt on top of his tee, unbuttoned and the trusty beanie is back. Betty can’t help thinking how aesthetically pleasing the two of them look together as he comes to stand next to them and a weird heaviness lodges itself in her chest.

“ Ready to roll?”

“ Yup.” He looks at Betty and there’s a strangely guarded expression on his face,” See you tomorrow Cooper.”

“ Yeah.” She says hoping desperately her voice doesn’t sound as small to him as it does to her own ears. Fucking great. 

Her phone starts ringing as soon as the two of them have left. It’s Polly. She cuts the call as she walks out towards the door sighing and thinking she’s never looked forward to her mother’s home cooked meal more than she is now.

Tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I think we'll be moving on to the actual pining in the next chapter. Betty is certainly whipped for our boy:) he is too of course but we'll get there in good time. Meanwhile drop a comment and kudos and let me know what you guys think!! I'm honestlyhappymoon on tumblr if anyone wants to come say hi!!:* love!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone...next chapter. The word count has gone up...I need to learn how to write shorter chapters seriously!
> 
> Anyway the pinefest continues and yeah there's some recreational drug use so be forewarned! Enjoy!

Sometime around seven am Polly sneaks into her room, lifts the covers and slides in next to her, spooning her from behind. Betty who’s been lying awake for a little while hugs her sister’s encircling arms and pulls her closer.

They just lie there for a little while and she’s beginning to feel sleepy again, the proximity and warmth of her sister’s body lulling her. Polly’s been picking her up for a week now, every night at ten pm sharp. On the drive home they talk like they haven’t talked in a long time. Betty’s still wary, still tends to avoid the one thing she wants to talk about most but still. It’s progress. 

It’s something.

“ Jason asked me to move in with him.” Polly says quietly, her breath fanning out against the skin of Betty’s neck. 

Betty snaps out of her comfortable stupor and is suddenly so much more awake as she turns around sharply to face Polly.

“ What! When!” She asks eyes wide,” What did you say?”

Polly smiles softly,” A few days back. I haven’t answered him yet but I’m going to say yes.”

Betty swallows. She feels strangely upset.

“ Are you sure about that Pol?” She asks keeping her voice low unable to mask the worry in it.

“ Yeah. I’ve thought about it and It’s what I want.”

“ What about mom and dad?” Betty prods. Her sister can be so oblivious to things staring her in the face some times.

“ What about them?”

“ You know what Pol. They’ll never allow it. They may have divorced but they’re still our parents.”

“ Well I don’t care what they say.” Polly decides, shaking her head,” besides I’ll be an adult legally by October so it’s not like they’ll have a say in this issue.”

Betty just stares at her unable to really say anything. She can feel the dull stirring of anxiety deep in her stomach, already manifesting as a small, sharp unwelcome pang.

“ Don’t worry Betty,” Polly reassures her running soft slow circles on her arm,” It’s what I want. I’ve planned it all out.”

Betty bites her lip, unable to stop herself from saying,” Don’t you think it’s too early for that? You’ve got college and-“

“ Betty.” Polly interrupts her, pulling away and sitting up,” I told you because I want us to have each others backs again. I’m tired of the constant back and forth with mom and dad. Please just-I just want you to be part of this thing I’m excited about.”

Betty sighs sitting up too. It’s almost eight, she might as well get up.

” I just wish you’d really think about this. You’re only eighteen. You don’t need the responsibility of co living with your boyfriend and missing out on stuff.” She says. 

Polly frowns.

“ I love Jason Betty. If I choose to live with him it’s because I want it more than the chance of bonding with my dorm room-mate. ” She gets out of bed and Betty can tell she’s already upset with her and where this conversation is going. She sighs again. She couldn’t just keep her mouth shut and let it be.

“ Ok Pol.” She says dejectedly,” Whatever you think is right. I just want you to be safe and happy.”

To her credit Polly pauses, then bends and kisses her cheek,” I am happy Betty. Maybe you’ll understand when you find the person you want your forever with.”

She’s gone the next minute and Betty scoffs, rolling her eyes. Polly can be so condescending sometimes. And just so-naive. As if she’d give up on any of her own life experiences just to be with a boy.

As if.

******

She has breakfast and then goes back to her room to face time with Veronica. They’d been having regular chats over the phone before she’d started work at the Bijou but that’s no longer possible now with her schedule. Her friend had surprised her however with an extravagant nail care package arriving in the mail two days ago complete with all kinds of nail art accessories and gorgeous nail colours. They’d planned a date to paint their nails together.

Veronica’s already getting started when she picks up the call and turns on the camera. 

“ Look at you! You look amazing B!” Veronica squeals through the phone screen. Betty rolls her eyes fondly.

“ Please shut up. I look like a nightmare. My skin is breaking out in this horrible weather and I’ve got eye bags to rival Jughead’s.”

Veronica giggles. Betty may not have had the time to talk, but they text continuously and Veronica knows all about her co-worker (or at least as much as Betty’s told her).

“ How is tall, dark and dreamy?” She asks and Betty tries to keep her face impassive. She knows Veronica has a tendency to jump to conclusions. She also knows her friend is very, very intuitive when it comes to boys. 

“ He’s fine.” She says trying to sound casual but not too casual,” And no we are not spending the rest of our time talking about him. Tell me about New York and the parties and the fun things.”

They chat leisurely while painting their nails and trying to figure out all the intricate art designs. Betty’s reluctant to say goodbye when Veronica reminds her it’s almost one. 

“ Say hello to your boyfriend from me.” She says grinning, as she caps the bottle of robin’s egg blue nail paint.

“ Say hello yourself. Archie’s of the opinion he’ll be watching free movies at the Bijou when he gets back because you’re working there and you’ll sneak him in somehow.”

Betty gapes at her.

“ I hope that’s some kind of a joke because I am not going to do that!”

Veronica smiles slyly,” No he’s actually serious. Maybe you could convince Jug-head to not report on you.” She makes kissy faces at her and bursts into a fit of giggles at her own ingenuity. 

“ Ok.” Betty says waving at her,” ok. I know what you’re doing. I’m going to say good bye now Miss Lodge.”

She ends the call to more of Veronica’s undignified laughter and lies down smiling. Trust Veronica to pair her up with anything that will stay still long enough. She’d been so gleeful when Betty had first mentioned Jughead to her and loves bringing him up in their texts. Thank god she’s had the decency not to do it on the group chat she has with the rest of her friends. Veronica may be persistent but Kevin is something else entirely.

Besides it’s not like she has a crush on her co worker. 

She makes herself a sandwich and then makes another one telling herself she can keep it as a snack for later (she knows she won’t eat it and that there’s a boy waiting behind the counter who loves to eat and never says no when she offers to share her home made snacks).

And if she does this it’s only because of the goodness of her heart.

Not because she has a crush on this boy. Not at all.

******

For the first time in a week she gets a little late and thereby misses her usual chat with Toni who’s already left when she enters through the main entrance. 

Dilton is cleaning up the counter when she walks up to him.

“ Hey Betty.” He says looking up, his glasses giving him a strangely owlish appearance, somehow more pronounced in the absence of Toni. Her shocking pink hair and overall cool persona seem to rub off on Dilton. He seems so much more like the nerd Betty knows from school when he’s alone. 

“ Hey.” She says resting her elbows on the counter. “ Toni’s left?”

“ Yeah.” Dilton replies washing his hands and taking off his apron. He emerges from behind the counter and comes to stand next to her,” Had some errands to run. Jughead’s here though. He’s changing in the back.”

“ Right. I guess I better change too, I kind of got late.” 

“ Sure.” Dilton waves her off then calls out,” Hey could you give this to Jughead. I borrowed it for reading.”

He tosses a book at her and Betty just barely catches it before Dilton’s already moving off. She has half a mind to call him back and give him a lecture on the handling of books but then the title catches her off guard.

It’s a dog eared copy of Franny and Zooey. 

Betty stares at it for a moment and then reverently opens it, leafing through the pages with subtle tenderness. It’s been read many times either by Jughead or other people but there are a lot of lines marked or underlined

Right at the beginning which is somehow one of her favourite parts there are several lines highlighted. 

(He was the only one on the platform who really knew Franny’s coat. He remembered that once, in a borrowed car after kissing Franny for a half hour or so, he had kissed her coat lapel, as though it were a perfectly desirable organic extension of the person herself.)   
(“ I’ve missed you.” The words were no sooner out than she realized she didn’t mean them at all.)  
(“ You going to eat your olive, or what?”)

She keeps rereading them. The highlighted lines, the marked lines, the underlined ones. 

“ Hey.”

Jughead’s quiet greeting startles her so much she nearly drops the book again.

“ Oh hey. I umm- Dilton gave this for you.” She holds out the book rather guiltily and Jughead takes it from her.

“ Yeah he borrowed it a while back.”

“ It’s one of my favourite books.” Betty says abruptly and Jughead smiles almost pleased.

“ It’s a great book.” He says rubbing his neck, then adds almost shyly, “ One of my favourites too.”

Something warm blooms in her and she feels the soft slow spread of it from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. It’s ridiculous but she has never met someone her own age who’s read Franny and Zooey and not dismissed it and she can’t believe this boy of all people likes it. Likes it enough to have read it and marked it and that line about the olive-

“ You better get changed Betty.” Jughead says gently and she snaps out of her reverie feeling foolish.

“ Right.” She gulps watching the way his bony fingers grip the book, caress it’s spine.” Right.”

They set to work as soon as she’s changed, Jughead helping her out with the food and drinks like he does most days before people start turning up for the show. 

They’re playing a movie called After the wedding and Betty’s read some great reviews about it. A rather large crowd turns up and she’s busier than normal so that by the time she places the last order for popcorn, nachos and soda on the counter and rings up the bill, she is quite breathless.

Jughead disappears inside the theatre and she waits outside, carrying out her usual tasks, cleaning up or refilling. He comes back fifteen minutes later and she smiles at him brightly. 

“ How’s the night shift going.” She asks when he comes to stand next to her. His eye bags tell their own story and often she catches him yawning, especially when it’s slow. She wonders what it must feel like knowing he has to be working all night after his shift at the Bijou ends. It’s only been a week since work started and she’s already thankful each night for the luxury of a comfortable bed to drop on as soon as she gets home.

Jughead shrugs in response to her query,” Ok I guess. Pop lets me rest when it’s not too busy.”

Betty nods. She’s ultimately too shy to ask what kind of desperation leads to the need for two full time jobs back to back. He’s still a minor. Is it even legal for him to be working this much?

Doesn’t he get tired? How long has it been since he really had a good night’s sleep?

“ This is actually my first time working at Pop’s. I worked at Andrew’s construction last year.” Jughead says as if he can read her mind and the endless barrage of questions.

“ Really! Oh my God!” Betty exclaims smacking herself on the forehead,” That’s where I’ve seen you from!”

There’s something unreadable about the expression on his face as his eyes widen and then he asks almost warily,” What do you mean?”

“ Nothing. Just that I thought you looked kind of familiar when I saw you at Pop’s that first day. That’s where I must have seen you. I helped out with the record keeping when Mr Andrews was updating all his data for the new system.”

Jughead looks almost tense for a minute and she has no idea why this is something he finds upsetting but then the look passes and he says casually,” Yeah I know that. I saw you a couple times too in the office when we were clocking out.”

“ Huh.” Betty lightly laughs out,” Who’d have thought we’d be working together in a year.” 

Jughead’s smile is wry,” Who’d have thought indeed.”

She thinks he’s done but then he adds quietly,” I’m glad.”

She feels a sudden rush of something, like fluttering butterfly wings and the kind of breathlessness that comes when she ‘s running laps on the track- he’s glad? He’s glad that she’s working with him? He’s glad that she figured out why he’s familiar?

She doesn’t get to ask him though. His phone starts ringing and he walks away to take the call. She looks through her own phone, scrolling through her social media. Veronica’s already posted a picture of her nails on Instagram with the caption, “ nail date with my bestie” and about a million emojis. 

She smiles and likes the post, and is typing out a comment when Jughead comes back.

“ Hey you wanna watch the movie?” He asks leaning across the counter like he does so often. 

“ We can do that?” Betty asks excitedly, putting away her phone, “ I mean I know we can-but can we?”

Jughead raises an eyebrow at her accompanied of course with that smirk of his.” Your eloquence tends me to induce you have a thing for Michelle Williams.”

Betty giggles,” I like her but I love Julianne Moore. Besides this film just sounds intriguing.”

“ Then we’re watching it. Let’s get some popcorn and soda first.”

He makes them one of the large buckets of popcorn with copious amounts of butter while she pours a soda wondering what Ernie might have to say and if this is some kind of theft.

She figures for all the work they do, one bucket of pop corn isn’t too big a deal and that for once she doesn’t need to ask him if it’s ok.

“ Come on.” He beckons her to follow and she has learned by now that she can trust Jughead when he tells her they can do something and not lead her into trouble.

They slip inside and sneak back to the last row keeping quiet. It’s empty. The row in front of them is nearly empty too save for a couple holding hands and whispering to each other. The film’s already been playing for a good twenty minutes now but Betty doesn’t mind. 

Jughead takes a seat immediately behind the couple and Betty follows, taking a seat next to him. She holds out the popcorn to him but instead of taking it he pulls up the armrest between the chairs and places the popcorn bucket in the middle. She keeps the soda with her trying not to think about the fact that there’s only one straw in it. She should have picked up another straw. Would it be weird if they shared a straw? Is this something she needs to even think about? Should she-sort of wipe the straw if he wants a drink after she’s taken a sip first? 

Their fingers brush every few minutes when they reach for the popcorn and it’s not awkward or anything-it’s happened before when they’ve worked the concession stand together. One week is enough time to have that kind of accidental physical contact and not be awkward about it. But it’s a different kind of awareness to him, sitting in the dark theatre with the muted glow of the screen on their faces and the strange anticipation of feeling that brush of skin on skin. Her throat feels dry and she takes one small sip from the soda and then immediately regrets it as Jughead glances at her and then looks back at the screen. Suddenly her mind is playing all the straw related questions on loop again.

She’s hardly noticing what’s happening on screen. The guy in front of them slowly slips his arm around the girl and moves closer to her. Betty sinks back into her chair trying not to notice. Jughead seems to be perfectly at ease next to her, his eyes focused on the movie while his hand continues to reach for the pop corn every few minutes. There is a wedding in process and she tries to focus on what’s going on. She tells herself to relax, to unclench her fists and reach for the popcorn too. To remain as unaffected by his presence as he is by hers. She’s beginning to feel slightly at ease when the couple sitting in front of them starts making out. 

Betty watches with an increasing sense of alarm as their kisses grow deeper and more passionate. It’s dark obviously but she has no doubt the dude is totally feeling up his girlfriend, if her breathy moans and slightly jerky movements are anything to go by. She’s so intensely focused on their activity that she nearly jumps out of her skin when Jughead nudges her. She looks at him, face flushed slightly at being caught in the act of blatantly staring but he’s also staring at them with a shit eating grin on his face as he mouths,” watch this.”

She has no idea what he’s about to do when he inches closer to the oblivious couple, lost in their own nirvana until he’s almost touching them and loudly whispers “Hey!”

The effect is instantaneous and hilarious. The couple spring apart like they’ve been electrocuted. The girl let’s out a muffled scream while the guy nearly falls off his chair in shock. Jughead is back in his seat the next second before the guy has even had a chance to look back. The entire row in the front is looking back to see what the commotion is about and a middle aged woman whispers loudly,” Please keep it down! You’re spoiling this for everyone!”

Betty is doubled over with laughter while Jughead isn’t even moving a muscle when the dude turns to him glaring and says, “ You think you’re smart buddy?”

Jughead turns on his flashlight and shines it in the guy’s face saying calmly,” I have no idea what you’re talking about sir but I’m going to have to ask you to sit down or leave.”

His girlfriend tugs him roughly and he begrudgingly takes a seat still turning around to glare at them every few seconds.

“ Let’s go.” Jughead whispers leaning into her, and for a fraction of a second his lips touch the skin of her ear lobe. Sparks of pleasure shoot up her spine and when he gets up and takes her hand she has to remind herself to take deep, deep breaths. They half run, half stumble up the aisle, Betty still giggling uncontrollably and as soon as they’re outside Jughead collapses against the wall, hooting with laughter.

“ Did you see that!” He pants trying to catch his breath,” the guy wanted to kill me!”

“ I still can’t believe you did that Juggie..” she gasps also breathless from her laughter and then stills suddenly at the realization she’s called him that. His eyes flicker to hers and then he looks away but the colour is high in his cheeks and there’s something quietly pleased about his soft smile. It makes her heart beat so painfully, at how close they’re standing. His body is like a furnace and it’s overwhelming, the heat of him, the smell of his sweat that should be gross but bewilderingly is not.

He reaches out a hand and tucks a stray strand of her behind her ear and if she has been paying attention to all those books and movies she’s wasted so much of her youth on, this is the part where he cups her face and kisses her. Something coils inside her in anticipation. He’s looking at her so intently, his piercing blue eyes a blur of colour because everything is strangely out of focus suddenly. She can’t help it as her eyes flicker towards his lips. They look chapped and she has the crazy urge to just feel them somehow, to know what it’s like to have lips like his rough textured ones pressed against lips like hers, so carefully tended each night with balms and petroleum jelly.

It feels like he inches closer and she closes her eyes because he is so beautiful it’s almost too much and if something happens she needs to-

“ Hey you guys!”

They spring apart so quickly that Betty nearly trips on her feet. Her face feels hot and she can’t help feeling bad for the couple inside as she tries to straighten up and calm down next to Jughead who looks for once, completely thrown off by whatever it was that just happened between them.

She forces herself to look away from him and focus on the intruders: Toni and Dilton marching towards them looking like they just won the lottery.

Jughead’s already schooled his features in to the slightly aloof, slightly neutral face he keeps with her around his friends and Betty tries to swallow the bitter sting of it as Toni approaches them followed closely by Dilton. 

“ What’s up losers!” Toni asks and if she can pick up any kind of a vibe between them she doesn’t show any indication of it.

Or maybe there is no vibe and it was all in her head. She chances a glance at Jughead and apparently he’s chosen that exact moment to glance at her too. It’s an electric spark when their eyes meet for the fraction of a second and she feels that rush again.

No. There was definitely a vibe.

“ What are you guys doing here?” Jughead asks looking away finally and maybe-just maybe his voice sounds just the tiniest bit scratchy? Rough? Does it?

“ Ta da!” Toni sings out holding up a small plastic bag with what is very obviously weed in it,” look what Dilton decided to share with us!”

Jughead’s face breaks out into a reluctant grin as he tries to grab the bag from her but she quickly hides it behind her back,” Where the fuck did you get it Dilton?” 

“ I have my methods dude. Beating you at call of duty isn’t my only talent.”

Toni laughs loudly and Jughead scoffs,” Fuck off man. That was like one time.”

Betty just stands there feeling completely left out suddenly to how intimate she’d been feeling with the boy standing next to her just two minutes ago. She’s getting friendly with Toni, thanks to how openly inviting the girl is but it’s hard to really communicate when Jughead’s friends turn up in groups. She feels like the new girl at school. And he makes it worse somehow with how awkward he gets with her too. 

“ Come on lets go up.” Toni gestures towards the stairs and Dilton winks at Betty and she just stares at him.

“ Isn’t this a little risky?” Betty asks unsurely as Toni moves towards the stairs too.

“ It’ll be fine,” Jughead tells her. “ We can come back in a minute.”

It’s just the two of them again, the sound of Toni’s footsteps moving further away and she wishes so much they could go back to that moment before being interrupted. 

Even if he hadn’t kissed her, she wishes that moment had ended less abruptly.

“ Come on.” Jughead says softly,” We still have some time before it ends.”

“ I’ve never smoked weed before.” Betty says hesitantly, “ I mean I’ve had pot brownies but I haven’t actually-“

“ That’s ok.” He takes her hand and her heart slams almost painfully against her rib cage. “ We don’t have to actually smoke if you don’t feel like it.”

He pulls her along, his hand still holding on to hers and she doesn’t know how to respond when he refers to them as ‘we’ and holds her hand like that. So she follows him and thinks Veronica is so fucking right as always.

She has a pretty big crush on her co worker.

And for all his cool act and all his moments of aloofness-he maybe, kind of has a crush on her too.

******

Polly continues to act a little weird through out the week while her mother has been busy planning a work trip. There’s a journalism convention in New York and both her parents are attending like they always do. Only this time it’s as exes. 

Her mother is so high strung these days because of that impending confrontation that it’s difficult to be around her and the time she spends at the Bijou is a welcome relief. Although Hal still co owns the register with Alice and they see each other every day Betty knows her mother is stressed out about her public image amongst people she has known and admired for a long time.

At work she’s getting to know some of the other Southside kids who drop by sporadically to meet up with Jughead or sometimes to actually watch a movie. She really likes Toni and Dilton tends to be a lot more fun when he’s around the girl. Betty suspects he may be harbouring a crush on her and she has no idea if Toni is in to it or not. She’s cool around all the guys. There’s something more intimate with how she behaves around Jughead but Betty knows by now that seems to come from a place of friendship and almost sisterly feelings rather than anything romantic.

She likes Toni all the more for it.

On Saturday they’re relaxing as usual once the movie’s started when Jughead suggests they go up and smoke again. 

Betty’s first experience that day had not been too great. She had inhaled too deeply and the resulting burn had led to a fit of coughing so intense that both Toni and Dilton had apologised to her for suggesting she try it. Even Jughead had looked nervous and she had to keep reassuring him she was fine.

He’d promised to let her try again though and Betty’s pulse quickens at the thought that he remembered.

The kiss that never happened is something she’s thought about a lot. Sometimes it feels like it was all in her head in that moment. That he hadn’t actually leaned in, hadn’t actually looked at her lips. Other times when she catches him staring at her (when he thinks she doesn’t know he’s looking) it feels like it was real. Whatever it was, there has been no replay of it and she tries not to feel too disappointed. 

They’re getting to be better at the whole friends thing and maybe it’s better that way. She’s always gotten along better with boys when there’s no element of romance and she doesn’t have to act or talk a certain way. She’s spent so long envying her sister and Veronica when it comes to things like that but she has also resignedly accepted she may never have that kind of spark.

Jughead’s already rolled up a joint when she joins him on the balcony, while listening to something on his cell phone. He pats the space next to him and offers one of the ear phones to her. She puts it to her ear curiously.

“ What is this?”

“ Ella Fitzgerald. The unsung queen of jazz.”

She shakes her head,“ You listen to jazz while you smoke weed. Could you be any more pretentious?” 

Jughead opens one eye and grins at her lazily.” I won’t share if you don’t play nice.” He says tugging at the cord lightly. Betty presses the ear bud firmly into place and swats his hand away.

He passes the lighted joint to her and she looks at it a little nervously.

“ Don’t inhale too much like last time.” He tells her softly,” Just take a small puff, hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale. You don’t have to take it all the way in..ok?”

“ Ok,” Betty says bringing it closer to her mouth,” here goes nothing.”

It doesn’t burn as much this time around and she takes his advice, taking a shallow inhale and then exhaling slowly. She takes a few more puffs and something begins to tingle just below her finger tips.

“ Ok that’s enough for you.” Jughead pries it gently from her fingers although she feels reluctant giving it up now. She’s already beginning to feel giddy. Relaxed and loose limbed. 

She’s not really paying attention to the song. The only version of jazz she’s heard is Nora Jones’s covers, the kind of music her mother had insisted on playing in the car when they’d taken road trips to see their dad’s parents.

She can’t help remembering that one time when she’d been eleven and their dad had surprised them with a trip to Disney land. Polly had started crying because she was so excited and her mother had laughed so much as she kept turning around to take photos of them. The jazz album was playing again but it didn’t even matter because it was one of those few brilliant moments of the four of them together being just plain happy. Maybe it’s that memory or maybe it’s something else but out of nowhere the words begin to register in her mind:

‘One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing  
And you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky  
But till that morning, there ain’t nothin’ can harm you  
With daddy and mammy standin’ by.’

Summertime and the livin’ is easy  
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high  
Oh, your daddy’s rich and your ma is good-lookin’  
So, hush little baby, don’t you cry.

It just...hits her. Everything that’s happened in the last one month. The complete and utter sense of melancholy that overwhelms her suddenly is so senseless, so staggering she let’s out a muffled gasp and realizes in horror that she’s started crying at some point. She’s been unable to feel anything since her dad packed his suitcase and let the door slam shut behind him one last time. She hasn’t shed a single tear. And now it’s like a floodgate has opened somewhere in her mind so that she can’t expand her lungs properly to take a deep enough breath.

Jughead is lost in some thought, eyes closed again and she turns her face away, swiping an angry hand across her cheek. The lump in her throat keeps getting bigger and she’s terrified she’s going to sob out loudly, dislodge that tied up knot of emotions that’s choking her right now so that it comes bursting from her mouth and startles him.

She nudges him softly, making sure there’s enough hair falling in her face that he won’t be able to tell it’s tear stained.

“ I’m going down to check on things.” She says quietly and her voice doesn’t betray her because Jughead doesn’t notice anything and simply mumbles an ok.

Downstairs she locks herself in the bathroom that’s reserved for staff only, pulls down the toilet seat and wraps her arms around her head to muffle the sound of her crying. She cries and cries until her head begins to hurt more than her heart and her sobbing turns into little sporadic hiccups. She should drink a glass of water, it’ll help with the hiccups at least. She feels drained and exhausted as she washes her face and reties her hair. Her eyes and nose look red and puffy from all the crying and there is no way in she’ll be able to fool anyone. Maybe she can pretend she had an allergic reaction to the weed. She could sneeze a few times in front of Jughead. That could help explain her face.

Jughead’s already back at the concession stand getting a soda refill for a group of thirteen year olds. She walks up to him miserably, feeling stupid and ashamed over her emotional outburst. He glances at her quickly and then goes back to putting lids on the drinks and handing over the change to the kids.

“ Hey sorry. Had to take a bathroom break.” She says avoiding his eyes, cringing at how nasally her voice sounds. 

He shrugs nonchalantly and says,” No problem.”

Betty wants to say something, anything that will help her breeze over the fact that he knows without doubt that she’s been crying but nothing comes to mind. She just stands there fiddling with one of the paper covered straws, eyes downcast. Her hiccups are thankfully subsiding.

“ Rebel without a cause.” Jughead says suddenly and she looks up at him confused.

“ What?”

“ My favourite movie. It’s rebel without a cause. It’s not the only one but it’s one that always comes to mind first.”

Betty blinks at him several times and for some reason her eyes begin to prickle again.

“ I thought you said you didn’t tell anyone-“

“ I don’t.” Jughead says quietly interrupting her,” but I’m telling you. Special favour if you will.”

Slowly, very cautiously he reaches out and touches her hand, still curled around the straw and then gently pries It open. Betty lets out a shuddering breath, trying desperately to swallow the lump that’s reforming in her throat. Jughead’s looking at her so intently but there’s something almost pleading about his stare. It makes her want to rip open her heart and show him everything that’s wrong there.

“ Thank you.” She says softly. And she is...she is so, so thankful for whatever it is he’s trying to give.

He doesn’t say anything but links his pinky finger with hers. As profoundly childish as the gesture is, the warmth of that little skin to skin contact is the greatest form of comfort to her in that moment.

******

She can sense him watching her for the rest of the day and she doesn’t know whether to feel flattered at how sensitive he’s being with her every time he asks her if she’s ok or horrified that he has to be nice to her because she very obviously had a mental breakdown.

Polly calls at eight thirty as she’s cleaning up the soda machine where she ‘d spilled some of the coke earlier.

“ Betty I’m really sorry but could you get someone to drop you off tonight?” She asks sounding breathless.

“ What? Why?” She asks frustrated. She’s feeling tired and cranky after the day she just had and now she doesn’t have a ride home. Great.

“ Something came up. I’m really sorry. I should have called earlier.”

“ It’s fine.” She sighs, Polly does sound regretful. “ I’ll manage.”

Polly hangs up and Betty watches as Jughead comes out of the store room with a box of refills for the candy stand.

“ What’s up?” He asks and his eyes are the same kind of concerned and cautious that they’ve been with her all day.

“ What?”

“ You...look upset-“

Betty blinks at him. How does he know how to say these things? Since when did he become so attuned to her facial expressions that he can just tell her how she feels? Or is she that transparent?

“ My sister just called. She can’t pick me up at ten.”

“ Oh.” Then,” I can drop you off.”

“ Don’t you have a shift?” Betty asks surprised.

“ It’s Saturday. I have the night off?”

“ Oh right. Um-you’re sure? I mean...you don’t have to I can just walk or figure something out-“

“ Betty-“ he interrupts gently,” I’m sure. It’s no big deal.”

“ Ok.” She says and it’s back, that feeling of breathlessness at the mere thought of sharing a car ride with him.

“ Ok. I’ll pick you up at ten.” 

Betty can’t help smiling at him like an idiot and considering what a strange day it’s been, his answering smile feels like a win.

They clean up as soon as the place is vacant, working efficiently first inside the theatre and then sweeping the hall and corridors so that the place is ready for the last shift as soon as Sweetpea and Joaquin enter.

Betty’s gotten to know both the boys quiet a bit. Sweetpea is tall, loud and at times slightly obnoxious. Joaquin is strikingly beautiful, quiet and the kind of courteous she’s not used to seeing even with the Northside boys. Both of them are great friends with Jughead.

It’s funny how he has so many friends and still seems to come off as a loner at times, even in the midst of them. 

“ I’ll miss you tomorrow blondie.” Sweetpea calls as Betty comes out of the changing room ready to join Jughead who’s already changed and waiting for her in his trusty flannel and beanie.

Jughead scowls at him and there’s a look that passes between them that’s tense and strained. And then Sweetpea strangely enough flushes and mutters, “ Kidding.”

Betty follows Jughead after mumbling a goodbye still wondering what that was about. Is Jughead being weird because Sweetpea called her blondie? She finds it strangely upsetting. She’s not a baby and it’s not like Sweetpea had meant anything by it. It’s not like she needs Jughead to act all protective and ‘manly’ just because she had a kind of shit day.

Jughead’s truck is parked a little to the side in the parking lot. She waits for him not saying anything as he unlocks the car.

“ Sorry about that.” He says finally.

“ About what?”

She doesn’t mean for it to come out so sharply and she kind of regrets it as something like hurt flashes across his face.

“ Just...my friends can be dicks sometimes.”

She sighs,” I didn’t mind Jug-it’s fine.”

He swallows and it’s like she’s watching a film in slow motion, watching his adam’s apple bob up and down.

“ Ok.”

They pull out of the parking lot as she puts on her seat belt. The truck isn’t in great shape and she wonders what her mother might have to say about her riding in it.

“ Can we go somewhere?” she says suddenly.

Jughead looks at her surprised, his eyes flitting between her and the road, “ Where do you want to go?”

“ I don’t know-just drive somewhere. I don’t feel like going home just now-and I kind of wanted another shot at the weed...”

Jughead still looks surprised but nods taking a left turn, away from the perfect winding ways leading to her house. They drive in silence for a little while until he reaches forward and turns on the radio. Betty settles her head against the window looking out and feeling oddly at peace. She can tell he’s driving towards the river. There’s really no where else they can go to in Riverdale but this feels nice. It feels like enough.

Jughead parks the truck in a little clearing by the river. It’s a spot often visited by high school kids, she’s come here with the gang many times before but there’s no one there at the moment. 

He rolls a joint as she watches, fascinated again with his hands, the practiced dexterity of his fingers. He lights it and takes a puff then passes it to her.

There’s a Cigarettes after sex song playing on the radio and Jughead turns up the volume. It’s quiet between them and still a little awkward after that weird exchange. Betty’s hit by a wave of nostalgia. She remembers Veronica playing it on repeat last summer after she’d slept for the first time with Archie.

They’d lain on the porch swing, sipping lemonades and reading ridiculous romance novels while humming “nothing’s gonna hurt you baby.”

“ My friend lost her virginity to that song.” She blurts out and that is so not how she planned on filling the silence. The awkwardness has just gone up by a thousand percent and it’s all she can do not to scream.

“ It’s a good song to lose your virginity to.” Jughead says after a pause, completely unperturbed and Betty feels such a rush of gratitude and warmth for him suddenly she has to physically restrain herself from climbing in to his lap and kissing him senseless. 

He blows out a puff of smoke and snorts. Betty starts giggling and it builds up and up until they’re laughing hysterically all the weirdness forgotten and it’s the best kind of feeling, the best kind of breathlessness.

It’s a great song she thinks, to smoke weed and laugh like crazy to with your summer crush.

Tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? Let me know!? I love the words you guys give back! Comments, kudos everything works:) love you guys. I'm @honestlyhappymoon on tumblr:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I'm baaaack! Special shoutout to @geekspen for gently prodding me while I was caught up in all the razzle dazzle of tumblr and the song fic series! This is again a long one folks...seriously I have no self control when it comes to chapter length.
> 
> Anyway, we're moving in to new exciting territory so buckle up! It's only up hill from here on!

Polly blasts Taylor Swift’s new album in her room over the weekend. Betty only has Sunday off but it’s one of those occasions when her mother’s not home and it’s just the two of them. In a rare show of solidarity her sister ditches her boyfriend and they spend the day lounging in their pyjamas, as they binge on Polly approved romantic comedies and ice cream. The album continues to play.

Her dad calls in the evening and Betty finds herself actually enjoying the conversation for once. He tells her about the conference, effectively evading around the fact that her mother is there too. They talk for a bit till he hangs up saying he has to get ready for dinner. 

They order Chinese for their own dinner and then watch Ellen while they gorge on egg rolls and Kung Pao Chicken. Jason calls Polly around nine and she goes to her room leaving her to clear up. Betty hangs out in the living room for another twenty minutes, scrolling through her social media and then gets up dumping the take out containers in the trash and washing the few dishes lying in the sink. 

She locks the front door and turns off the light, walking upstairs towards her bedroom. The door to Polly’s bedroom is shut and she can hear her sister’s low voice from across the door, given how quiet it is. She pays no heed to it until a muffled gasp escapes the room. Betty frowns, tip toeing closer, wondering if she should check on her sister when suddenly she hears what is a very obvious, very throaty moan followed by a soft, “ Oh baby yeah.”

Fuck.

Her sister is having phone sex with her boyfriend. Betty scrunches her nose in disgust. Ugh those two. It’s like a disease with them. She walks to her room, shaking her head trying desperately to lose the mental image of what is happening in her sister’s room. 

She takes off her bra and puts on sleep shorts, getting beneath the covers after a short trip to the bathroom to brush and pee. Her entire body feels warm, partly from the embarrassment of accidently eavesdropping on her sister’s ‘ moment’. 

She tries reading one of the books she’d borrowed from the library but the words keep jumbling up and she gives up, finally shutting the book and putting it on her nightstand.

Out of nowhere she has a flash of Jughead’s eyes, crinkled in merriment as he’d passed her the joint last night, the rough yet strangely soft quality of his voice as he’d made her laugh with his ridiculous imitation of the song. As much as she wants to deny it, she’s can’t stop thinking about that soft moaning from her sister’s room, and the stupid, unwanted yearning it awakens somewhere low in her belly.

******

Another week passes and her routine continues. There’s been a subtle shift in her relationship with Jughead since the night they drove to the river. It’s nothing tangible, he’s still his usual sarcastic, slightly smug self around her but there’s definitely some kind of tenderness in the way he looks at her. There’s definitely something there.

They haven’t hung out of work since that first time, but they spend all the time they have together now-talking about everything under the sun. 

It’s wonderful. There’s no other word for the feeling she gets when he’s with her, when he’s focused completely on what she’s saying, when he looks at her with his stupidly pretty eyes. 

He’s also started to relax with her around his friends. She no longer feels like an outsider with them and he doesn’t act withdrawn or guarded. If anything, it’s beginning to feel like he’s constantly trying to draw her in and she couldn’t be happier. They’re a good lot-the Southsiders, a little too loud maybe but pretty cool. He’s introduced her to another one of his friends who goes by the name of Fangs-which is a ridiculous name for someone who is as cute as him and looks about as helpless as a puppy. Betty likes him a lot.

Toni tells her about a party planned for Sunday by the river when they’re having their usual chat at shift change on Friday

“ You should totally come.” Toni says as she unties her apron and takes off her name tag. Betty’s already changed into her work T-shirt.

“ I don’t know.” She says hesitantly as she takes up the rag to wipe the counter. Toni rolls her eyes.

“ You need to lighten up Cooper. There’s going to be Northsiders too so you won’t stand out like a sore thumb.” She smirks slyly looking behind Betty suddenly and then says loudly, “ If all goes well I could get you drunk enough to get some action.” 

Betty chokes and turns around to see Jughead. He’s probably overheard them but his face is completely impassive as he comes to stand next to her.

“ What’s up Topaz?”

“ Nothing.” Toni says brightly. “ Just trying to get our girl here to live a little. You should bring her to the party on Sunday.”

Betty doesn’t miss the implication and glares at Toni as the other girl continues to grin.

“ You should come. Toni is particularly entertaining when she’s shit faced.” 

Toni flips him the bird but laughs out loudly.

“ You’re a bunch of losers. But I love you both.” She sing songs as she walks off to change and Betty feels a surge of affection for this girl she’s beginning to think of as a really good friend.

“ You should come.” Jughead repeats when it’s just the two of them as he turns on the pop corn machine and refills it with a new batch. Betty feels that same giddy feeling wash over her again. 

“ I’d like that. But I’ll have to ask my mom.” 

He nods and that’s pretty much the end of the conversation as the door opens and their first customers, a group of gangly teens, turn up for the show.

The rest of the day passes in pretty much the usual way, with their break on the balcony and a lengthy discussion on the new season of Mind hunter. Both of them are fans of the show and Jughead horrifies her with details and facts he’s read about various serial killers that aren’t covered in the season. They sit side by side on the floor behind the counter while the movie plays and at one point his shoulder comes to rest next to hers. She has to pay extra attention to what he’s saying for the next twenty minutes because the heat and goose bumps that little point of contact causes to erupt through out her body is beyond bearable. It’s almost a relief when he gets up to go check inside the theatre leaving her alone to get her heart rate to normalize.

At the end of the shift, after they’ve cleared up the theatre, Polly calls to say she’ll be ten minutes late so Betty waits by the counter talking to Joaquin. Sweetpea’s at the ticket counter being his usual loud self but she doesn’t find his antics irritating. He’s been behaving himself around her since Saturday and she suspects Jughead might have to do something about it but she can’t find it in herself to be annoyed at him for interfering. 

She figures she should go change and walks in to the store room already unbuttoning the top two buttons on her shirt. The door’s closed behind her by the time she realizes Jughead’s already inside. He’s shirtless like that first day, that olive toned skin on display, the same dark coarse hair-the hint of lithe muscle in his arms and abdomen and the sudden heat that uncoils in her belly doesn’t even surprise her anymore. He’s lounging against the locker, eyes glued to his phone, the bluish light from it’s screen making his face look almost eerie but just as attractive.

Betty’s mouth feels far too dry and she knows she’s staring but it’s hard to pull her eyes away. 

“ Eyes up here blondie.” Jughead says tone so openly flirtatious and teasing that her mouth falls open.

“ I need to change.” She mumbles and he pushes himself up, unfolding himself almost gracefully given how tall he is and Betty can’t help following his movement as he takes out a t-shirt from his back pack and puts it on. 

“ Room’s all yours.” He says as he passes by her, almost touching her and for a second she just wants to pull him back, push him against the door and just let herself rub up against him. Soothe some of this constantly building frustration that’s sizzling between them. She’s so tired of this game now. 

It’s almost like a burden.

******

On Saturday it’s almost back to normal but there’s a hint of lingering tension between them. Everything feels stretched and tight. Betty’s beginning to wonder how long she can stand this before she catches a spark and combusts spontaneously.

The afternoon however brings a spark of it’s own.

She’s setting up the candy stand as Jughead’s pouring out the soda for three girls when out of nowhere a familiar voice greets her enthusiastically. 

She looks up surprised to find Trevor Brown from her class smiling at her with what is genuine happiness and her own face breaks out in a grin. She hasn’t seen him in almost a month since he’d gone to visit family in Florida.

“Hey Trev. You’re back.” Betty says brightly.

In the periphery of her vision she senses Jughead stiffen and when she glances at him he’s looking straight ahead, hyper focused on the soda machine, jaw tense.

Out of nowhere her own anxiety pulses as Trev leans in, completely oblivious to the sudden tension his presence has created and she forces herself not to flinch, to remember to smile and reply like she would normally.

“ Yeah. It’s good to see you Betty. I had no idea you were working here.”

“ It was kind of last minute. It’s almost been a month now.” She replies. Jughead’s fingers are strumming a tune on the linoleum counter and the sound is jarring. “ When’d you get back?”

“ Three days ago..” Trev smiles then says, voice slightly lower, “ What time do you get off? How about milkshakes at Pop’s later?”

Betty tries to return the smile but it feels more like a grimace. 

“ I kind of have a curfew. It’s strictly ten these days when I get off from work.”

“ Ok how about Sunday.”

“ Oh...umm there’s a party I promised to go to.”

Trev shrugs good-naturedly. 

“ Ok. We can plan something. I’ll call you sometime.”

Betty swallows. Her mouth feels unpleasantly dry. Jughead isn’t even pretending to be unconcerned any more. He’s staring daggers at Trev, mouth a thin line.

“ Well the movie’s starting. I’ll get some of those sour patch kids.”

“ We’re out of those.” Jughead says immediately. Spitefully. 

“ Actually I can check.”

“ It’s fine Betts.” Trev smiles, although he throws Jughead a disgruntled look. “ See you around.”

She watches him leave after waving at her. He’s just disappeared from view when she turns on her heels and marches to the little store room where they keep the extra candy.

There’s a whole carton of Sour patch kids next to the Pop corn.

Liar.

The door opens behind her and she can sense him as he comes to stand beside her. She straightens and turns around.

“ Hey I can cover for you if you want to hang out with your friend.” He says. Contrary to what he’s saying there is nothing helpful about his stance or his tone. He’s reeking of resentment.

Something constricts painfully in her chest. Jughead’s face looks like he’s about to run a marathon, the way his whole body is wound up tight like a coil. 

“ I don’t-“ Betty falters feeling inexplicably like she’s going to start crying, “ I mean it’s not like I...I don’t really hang out with him a lot.”

He nods and waits a beat then blurts out, “ But you’ll go out with him-later?”

Betty frowns at him. There’s something like a hot spurt of anger and hurt swirling in her oesophagus somewhere. The taste of it is bitter.

“ What’s it to you?”

It comes out so vindictively that Jughead looks startled for a second-like he can’t believe she can talk that way-and then he flushes.

“ I just- I wanted to let you know if you- It’s fine if you-“

He stops then swallows and just shakes his head.

“ Sorry I didn’t mean to upset you or anything.” He finishes lamely. Betty bites her cheek painfully to stop herself from saying anything.

“ Why’d you say we were out of these?” She holds up the box of sour patch kids and Jughead’s eyes flit guiltily towards it. 

“ You should just say things you’re feeling rather than playing games all the time.” She says curtly and brushes past him leaving him gaping at her open mouthed, unable to come up with his usual brand of sarcasm for once.

Things are tense between them to say the least the rest of the day. Jughead is sullen and broody and she finds herself feeling irritable every time they have to talk. He stalks off as soon as the movie starts playing and she spends her time texting Veronica and Kevin as she eats her glum looking tuna salad, feeling depressed.

The second movie drags on slowly and a couple of teens come out for refills during half time. Jughead is usually available to help but not today and she finds herself grinding her teeth in annoyance.

He turns up as the film ends and ushers out the audience while she waits by the stand, robotic smile plastered on her face. They work stiffly next to each other, cleaning up the trash and she’s about to leave with a bag full when he stops her abruptly mid-walk standing in front of the door so she can’t pass. 

Before she can actually yell at him for having the nerve he says,“ I’m sorry.”

Betty scoffs incredulously as her mouth falls open. “ You behave like a jerk, then ignore me the whole day and think that’ll work?”

“ I wasn’t ignoring you...” He mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. His hands are empty, the trash bag and broom lying carelessly next to him. “ But I’m a jerk.”

She frowns at him. Her hands are full so she can’t really wag a finger at him the way she wants to. “ Whatever.” She says trying to walk past him, “ I’m not really in the mood-“

“ -Betty please.” He repeats urgently and one hand shoots out to grip her arm in order to stop her. She stares at his hand pointedly and he lets go, jerking his hand away, a dark flush now staining his face. He swallows, his adam’s apple bobbing nervously, “ Please stop. I’m an idiot and a jerk.”

Betty sighs. “ I can’t believe that stunt you pulled. Trev’s my friend and yeah you were a total jerk with him.” 

“ Like I said. I’m sorry. It’s just-“ He stops suddenly, his face suddenly closed off and Betty wants to scream in frustration. 

“ What?” She presses.

He stays quite and she rolls her eyes trying to walk past him again.

“ Ok I’m sorry,” He throws out his hand again to stop her, “ It’s just, I didn’t want you to hang out with him and got all- weird.” 

Jughead looks as surprised as she feels by what he’s just said but Betty’s not about to let this conversation end.

“ I don’t see-“

“ I really like you Betty.” Jughead blurts out and in the quite theatre the words seem to reverberate in the dark so that they get louder and louder and she can’t help the way her heart seems to stop and start, stop and start so that it’s actually painful – whatever this feeling is that’s beginning to spread through out her body like wild fire, completely ignoring the fact that she’d been fuming at him not three seconds ago.

Almost like he’s under a trance he moves towards her and her lips part in some kind of instinctive reflex but before she can actually throw the bag full of trash on the floor and all caution to the wind and her arms around his neck, Sweetpea throws open the door and peeking in shouts at the top of his voice, “ They’re here Joaquin!”

Jughead’s standing frozen to his spot and before she can do something stupid like rip Sweetpea’s stupid head off, she walks past him quietly, dumps the trash in the huge trash can and makes her way towards the store room so she can at least let out a muffled scream after stuffing her shirt in her mouth.

She’s hardly inside the room when the door opens again and she looks back to find Jughead turning the lock.

“Please tell me I haven’t been reading all the signs wrong.” He says eyes focused on her lips, taking a step towards her and she takes a step back bumping in to something but that hardly matters when her heart is beating so fast it’s about to burst right out of her chest, the way he’s looking at her.

“ You haven’t.” She says voice breathless, hardly audible but whatever he hears is enough and just before the second his lips crash on to hers she thinks she didn’t plan for her first kiss to be like this, in a darkened store room where she can smell her own sweat, hair sticking to her face with a boy who looks like sin.

It’s all heat as Jughead’s mouth presses against hers insistent and unsure at the same time and she feels overwhelmed by the scent and the feel and the taste of him: warm and sweet and startlingly intoxicating. Her hands, that have been hovering uselessly by her sides reach forward and slowly trace up his arms, the feel of his muscle and the hair on his forearms an oddly thrilling sensation beneath the pads of her finger tips. Jughead seems to take this as a good sign because his own hands suddenly cup her face and pull her closer, lips coaxing hers till she begins to move her mouth more openly against his and then- and then he slips his tongue in her mouth and his knee between her legs and that seems to knock the breath right out of her.

She gasps and pulls back suddenly and his eyes blink open, widening in alarm as he blurts out,” Shit- sorry...I didn’t mean-“

“ No-.” Betty says grasping his arms tightly so he won’t move back although he’s retracted his leg from between hers already, to both her relief and disappointment.

His face is flushed and the tips of his ears are a bright red. He’s still cupping her face and his eyes are blown wide, the blue in them so dark it’s almost gone. Betty softly presses her lips to his again then draws back. Jughead makes a strangled sound at the back of his throat and asks, “ Was that ok?”

“ Yeah-“ Betty answers nodding her head almost comically fast,” Yeah it was good- I just- I’ve never.”

“ Me neither.” He says interrupting her and she blinks at him several times, mouth opening in surprise.

“ You’ve never kissed anyone before?” She asks disbelievingly and his eyes that are still fixed on her lips flicker upwards.

“ Yeah. I mean no. I haven’t.” He seems a little overwhelmed himself and Betty feels a rush of soft, hot longing for him deep in the pit of her stomach. She reaches forward and presses her mouth to his again, coaxing it this time and he complies eagerly, thumbs resting on either side of her neck, pressing in to the skin although he makes sure not to brush his lower half against her like he’d done before.

“ I can’t believe you haven’t kissed anyone before.” She says pulling away again for air. His mouth curves up in to a smile that’s partly goofy and partly pleased.

“ Well I’ve practiced the cherry stem to perfection if you’re wondering at my expertise.”

Betty giggles, feeling giddy with how happy she is right now. Her mouth is stretched out in a smile so wide the corners of her mouth almost hurt. Jughead kisses her nose and nuzzles his own against her forehead and then almost shyly whispers, “ I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time.”

She looks up, a question forming on her lips when her phone starts ringing. A small stifled sigh escapes her as Jughead steps back a little looking almost regretful.

“ That must be Polly.”

“ Yeah.” He says then repeats, “ Yeah.”

“ I should go.” Betty still has her hands limply holding on to him as the phone continues to ring. She needs to let go of him. So she does, feeling a little awkward as she lets her hands fall, breathless again under his stare. His eyes keep flitting to her mouth, his own mouth slightly open. It feels bee stung and slightly numb, an odd unfamiliar feeling and she bites her lower lip unconsciously.

“ You should probably go out first.” Betty gestures and Jughead nods, looking a little dazed and it does things to her, thinking he’s been just as affected by the kiss as she is.

“ That’s a good idea.” He rasps out and then swallows, “ I’ll meet you outside.”

Good. Good. This is something she can manage. She can meet him outside. 

He walks to the door and turns around looking back at her. Almost longingly? Betty thinks he’s going to say something but then he just opens the door and walks out letting it shut behind him. 

She lets out a breath and then because it’s hard to keep it in hugs herself and lets out a low squeal. He kissed her. He kissed her, he kissed her! 

“ Oh my God.” She whispers pressing her hands into her cheeks, ”ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod!” 

It’s funny how completely her mood has lifted, considering what a shit day she’d had. All it took was a kiss, she thinks.

Outside Joaquin is already working the concession stand as people queue up to get their snacks. Sweetpea is nowhere in sight and she’s kind of relieved. Her skin still feels unnaturally warm and she’s not really in the mood to have her post first-kiss-ever-face analysed.

Joaquin greets her with a smile as usual and a casual, “ Hey Betty.”

“ Hey Joaquin.” She replies. From the corner of her eyes she can see Jughead come out of the other office, now changed back in to his t-shirt, beanie back on his head. His eyes search her out immediately and the feeling that erupts throughout her body is unlike anything she’s ever felt before.

She tries to focus on anything other than his face as he joins them at the stand. It’s just the three of them now, everyone settled inside the theatre. She can hear the muffled sounds of the movie playing inside.

“ So I’ll see you tomorrow at the party?” Jughead asks and his tone is so far removed from the normally casual one that Betty can’t help glancing at Joaquin to gauge his reaction. 

The dude is totally staring at Jughead who is turning a deep shade of red at the realization. Betty sighs internally.

“ Sure. Yeah.” Then as if just remembering she has manners, she turns to him,” What about you Joaquin?”

“ I’ll be there. I’m the official DJ.” 

“ That’s cool. So tomorrow then?” 

“ Yeah.” Jughead says nodding. 

“ Ok then. Umm-well goodbye.”

She holds out her hand and realizes too late she does not shake hands every night with her co workers. Jughead and Joaquin are both staring at her outstretched hand like it’s a poisonous snake or something. And then Jughead’s face breaks into ‘that’ smirk he has-the smirk that says ‘you’re so flustered and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that I had you pressed against the door.’ She doesn’t begrudge him that smile for once. He deserves to look so smug after the kiss she just got.

To his credit Joaquin comes to her rescue before she can further embarrass herself by a simple handshake that he somehow converts into a fist bump and Betty feels so grateful to him she has a half a mind to kiss him too.

Calm down for fucks sake, she thinks and finally turns around, walking away to the feeling of one pair of eyes boring into her back.

Polly honks the horn twice as she crosses the parking lot, making her wince.

“ You took your time.” Her sister remarks as Betty puts her seat belt on, trying her hardest not to look like the Cheshire cat. Her face is still warm and everything feels too bright, too loud-but in the best kind of way. Like she’s been smoking weed again.

“ I had a few things to sort out.” She says casually as Polly smiles slyly at her but thankfully keeps silent. She reaches forward for lack of anything better to do with her hands than curl them in her palms and turns up the volume. It’s that Taylor Swift song again:

And it’s new the shape of your body,  
It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got.  
And it’s ooh, whoa oh,  
It’s a cruel summer.

******

Agonising over what to wear at a party because she wants to look really good for a boy who just kissed her turns out to be a lot less fun than Betty’s pre-kiss self could have envisioned.

Sunday morning is spent trying on outfit after outfit but nothing looks right. There’s a lovely burgundy top she’d been saving for a special occasion but it feels too formal for a simple party by the river, where most of the kids will be too wasted to even notice what any one is wearing.

Her first choice of a cute lilac t-shirt and shorts feels too casual. Maybe if she paired it with a skirt...

“ Why do I get the feeling you’re dressing for some impressing.” Polly remarks as she flops down on her bed.

Betty snorts and glances at her sister. Polly’s casually blowing at her nails, a fresh coat of fuscia pink glistening on them, her bare legs crossed at the back-toenails the same shade of fuscia. Polly’s so effortlessly pretty always. 

She holds up the tee shirt and skirt.

“ Does this look good.”

“ Skip the tee. Wear your white polka dot. You always look hot in that.”

Hot isn’t a word she’s ever associated with herself but she’ll take it If her sister thinks so. Hot is a word she’d like to associate with herself-especially if a certain boy thinks it. 

The thought of him and his kisses has her face warming up again. Her sister’s still watching her with eyes narrowed and Betty has the feeling she’s planning an interrogation when they’re interrupted by their mom’s voice calling them down for lunch. 

Alice had relented to Betty attending the party without creating too much fuss somehow. Her trip to New York had done her good and it’s with a sense of relief that she watches her mom as she serves them fruit salad and cold chicken sandwiches while chatting about an old friend she had reconnected with at last week’s conference. It’s good to see her happy and excited about something after all the mess she’s had do deal with. 

At exactly seven she goes to her room to shower and change. Her nails are already done. Polly helps blow dry her hair into soft loose curls and adds the final touches to her make up. Betty is infinitely pleased with the result. She puts on a pair of silvery sandals and a pair of small studs for a little glitter. And finally, instead of her usual trusty cardigan, she picks out a slightly worn looking denim jacket that has a small pattern embroidered on it. 

Alice is sitting at the kitchen table, typing away at her laptop, glasses perched at the tip of her nose. She looks Betty over and tuts.

“ I don’t like that jacket-“

“-Mom. She looks fine.” Polly interjects immediately and Betty is relieved when her mom frowns and purses her lips but doesn’t say anything.

“ Be back by ten!”

“ Mom!”

“ Eleven and not a second longer.” 

Polly drives her to the location Toni had texted and winks as Betty unbuckles her seat belt,“ Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

“ Ha.” Betty responds dryly and exits the car, waving at her sister as she drives off. The party is in full swing from the looks of it and she feels slightly anxious as she makes her way down the slight slope leading to the river bank where people are hanging out in groups. Off to one side Joaquin is already playing his tunes, surrounded by a group of girls. Betty smiles. The dude’s a charmer for sure.

“ Hey you look good.”

Jughead’s voice is low and she whips around to find him smiling at her, standing really close. Warmth blooms inside her, creeping up her neck.

“ Hi.” She says, hoping she doesn’t sound as breathless as she feels, “ Thanks - so do you.”

He quirks an eyebrow at her and makes a show of looking down at himself, dressed in his usual jeans, t shirt and flannel, “ Yeah? All thanks to the ladies at the salon-“

Betty giggles swatting him on the arm,” You’re such a dork. I meant you always look nice.”

“ So do you.”

She knows this is probably the cringiest conversation if someone was eavesdropping on them but she really can’t bring herself to care. Jughead jerks his head towards a table where an odd assortment of eatables is arranged carelessly. 

“ You wanna get something to eat?”

“ Ok.” She nods and steps into line with him. Jughead’s hands are stuffed in his pocket and she folds her own behind her back. They walk to the table with it’s keg stand and rather meagre supply of hot-dogs, chips and brownies that are fast disappearing.

They get a hot dog each and join Sweetpea and Toni who are currently bickering about some bet Sweetpea’s lost and Betty feels completely at ease as she stands there next to Jughead occasionally joining the rather ridiculous on going banter. She notices Toni turn her head around several times, as if looking for someone and is wondering about it when Jughead bends slightly so she can hear them over his friends’ loud arguing, “ So Ethel just called before I got here...she needs me to cover for her at Pop’s. I’ll be leaving with Fangs in a little bit.”

“ Oh.” Betty says, heart sinking with disappointment. She only just got here a half hour ago. “ Can’t you ask someone else.”

“ None of the other kids are available. I’d have gotten Sweetpea but he’s useless there.” He looks about as dejected as her so that at least is a plus. 

“ I’d have said no but I owe her one.” Jughead adds quietly and Betty nods. There’s nothing much she can say to that.

“ Hey you wanna go somewhere. We have about ten minutes.” He says not quite meeting her eyes. The tips of his ears are pink and she thinks she has an idea about what they can use those ten minutes for so she nods and follows him.

They pass several other kids they know, stopping to say hi. It’s like a weird kind of alternate universe where Southsiders are partying with Northsiders. They follow a little trail leading slightly away from the clearing and Jughead’s hand finds hers in the dark and grips it tightly. He turns around to face her and she hasn’t really prepared for anything when he pushes her against the tree taking her by surprise, but her hands are already grabbing on to the lapels of his flannel, pulling him in. It’s like a reflex her body is naturally attuned to. 

The brush of his lips against hers is urgent, like yesterdays. There’s that hint of sweetness too. Betty smiles into his mouth helplessly and she can feel the soft upward curve of his mouth as well. 

When he pulls back, he’s got a dopey grin on his face and it sends a million butterflies fluttering down her tummy, somewhere lower where it suddenly feels uncomfortably wet. She tries to focus on anything but that feeling.

“ I wanted to do that.” He whispers caressing her cheek, “ It’s all I’ve been thinking about since last night.”

“ Really?” She asks breathlessly.

“ Yeah.” He smiles and kisses her once, twice, three times – soft brushes of his lips against hers, till she pulls him back more roughly. His hands trace a slow path down her back and grip her waist and she thinks she’ll be fine if he goes just a little lower.

She doesn’t get to find out because from somewhere very close to them Fangs shouts loudly, “ Yo Jughead!”

“ Fuck.” Jughead mutters stepping back. Betty sighs in disappointment as he turns around and shouts, “ Coming!”

“ I better get going. Fangs is giving me a ride.” 

“ Yeah ok.” She says nodding. It feels like there will never be a moment for them to be alone, she thinks as he takes off his beanie and runs his hand carelessly through his thick hair. Betty watches him, wishing she could just reach out and touch it too. 

“ So I’ll see you tomorrow.” He jams the beanie back on.

“ Mm-hum.” 

“ OK.” Jughead swallows. The bob of his adam’s apple is fascinating. She wonders what it would be like to kiss him there. 

“ Jughead!” Fangs shouts again and this time Jughead surges forward, stamps one last kiss on her mouth and walks away, leaving her leaning across the tree. Betty sighs again and counts to ten, then brushing her skirt walks towards the party. 

Dilton is chatting with some kids she doesn’t know but he calls out to her as she passes by. A number of girls are gathered around Joaquin looking star struck. She knows Nancy and Cricket from the Vixens and she’s surprised they’re hanging out here. She’s seen some other Northsiders but the River vixens are Riverdale High elite. It’s weird to see them hanging here with a bunch of kids from the wrong side of the tracks.

“ How’s it going?” Dilton asks and Betty smiles. She looks around at the people drinking and dancing lazily to the DJ’s tunes.

“ Good I guess. Hey have you seen Toni?”

“ Yeah she was just here. I think I saw her going towards the parking area.”

He points towards the clearing a little far off where some of the cars are parked and Betty nods a thank you. She fills a cup from one of the kegs, sipping on the beer, wishing very much Jughead was still with her.

The beer is lukewarm and she puts the cup back after taking a few sips thinking about finding Toni. The parking area is off to a side and it’s dark there since the few party lights someone has strung up are all around Joaquin and the food.

Betty walks towards the clearing where Dilton had pointed, squinting in the dark. The place looks pretty much deserted, the noise from the on going party muffled and far away. There’s no sign of any one here, Dilton probably wasn’t even paying attention to her when she asked him about Toni. She’s about to turn around and walk away when a sudden flash of pink catches her eye. 

It’s definitely the pink of Toni’s hair. The girl is sitting with her back to Betty in Cheryl’s red Impala. She has no idea what the Blossom heiress is doing here but it strikes Betty she should probably warn Toni to get the fuck out of that car before the queen bee herself catches them.

Betty walks up to the car, focused so completely in trying to avoid the gnarly undergrowth that she nearly misses the soft moaning that’s coming from it’s direction. She’s only about five feet away when Toni moans so loudly that she looks up startled and her mouth falls open in surprise.

Toni has her top unbuttoned, head thrown back, clearly in the throes of passion as she sits straddling no one other than Cheryl-fucking-Blossom who is currently kissing Toni’s neck like there’s no tomorrow.

“ Oh my God.” Betty blurts out in shock and takes a step back so quickly that her foot gets caught in a broken branch and she falls backwards, landing flat on her ass on the hard, slightly damp forest floor. Her muffled shout and fall causes a sound loud enough to finally distract the kissing couple and the two girls spring apart in surprise, Toni slipping off Cheryl’s lap in a hurried movement that almost has her falling out of the car too. 

“ What the actual fuck Betty!” Toni cries out looking seriously upset as she tries to button up her shirt. Cheryl is contemplating her with an icy expression, her lip curled and Betty has the distinct impression she’d be lying crushed to the ground under Cheryl’s heeled boots if she were an insect.

“ Still haven’t outgrown your childish habits I see Nancy Drew.” She quips, flipping her fiery red hair as she wipes her smudged lipstick. Toni has finally climbed out of the car and is now facing away from the both of them, probably buttoning her skirt from the little Betty can see.

“ I was only looking for Toni.” Betty mutters, getting up. Her skirt feels damp. There’s probably a muddy stain on it. Great.

“ Well since you’ve achieved your mission why don’t you fuck off and leave us alone.”

“ Hey!” Toni says sharply and Cheryl’s expression turns sour.

“ Oh well.” She says, turning her headlights on and starting the engine, “ I don’t have the time for whatever this is. Betty my dear, you should really shed a few before making risky choices about the length of your skirt. Ta da.”

Betty hasn’t yet come up with an appropriate reply to this very obvious insult by the time Cheryl reverses her convertible smoothly and drives off blowing kisses at them through her rear view mirror.

Toni is frowning as she comes to stand next to Betty. “ Sorry about that.” She mutters.

Betty waves a hand at her dismissively, “ It’s fine. I’ve spent enough time around her to be used to it-“ She pauses, looking sideways at the other girl. 

“ Say it Cooper. I can practically see the wheels turning in your head.”

Betty flushes, not that it’s apparent to Toni since it’s really dark but her face feels hot just the same. “ Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Toni shrugs, “ It’s ok. We weren’t exactly trying to be very discreet.”

Betty bites her cheek then says in a rush, “ So you and Cheryl?”

Toni shrugs again but this time the gesture is almost bitter. Resigned. “ We’re just fooling around.” She says quietly and Betty can immediately tell this is not an arrangement Toni’s too happy about.

“ I mean, It’s been some time now-“ Toni sighs, “-but it’s the same old shit. She’s not exactly ready to come out. Especially for some Southsider chic.” 

Betty nods completely unsure on how to respond to this revelation. She’s known Cheryl is bi for some time now but it’s one of many Riverdale high’s open secrets. No one actually talks about it, least of all Cheryl. The vixens have always been a close knit group, whether by choice or out of fear for the resident queen but even Polly had been mum about the subject when it started circulating in the gossip mill. 

“ Let’s get back.” Toni says clearly done on the topic and Betty steps in line with her, focused once more on the forest floor.

“ It’s funny I thought you and Jughead were a thing when I first met you guys.”

Toni barks out a laugh squinting at Betty in the dark. “ You can’t be that dumb Cooper.”

“ Well yeah-“ Betty says defensively, “-you guys just had this weird sort of energy between you-“

“ Best friends remember? We’ve practically known each other all our lives. I mean you’re best friends with that Archie dude...you should know-“

“ Yeah. I guess.”

“ Anyway, even if I was in to dudes which I’m not, Jughead’s way too intense for me.”

Betty snorts, “ Says the girl who has a thing for Cheryl Blossom.”

Toni smiles wryly. “ What can I say. The heart wants what it wants.”

Betty can’t help the sudden sense of melancholy that washes over her at those words. Surely they’re too young to actually take them seriously. She can’t name a person cooler than Toni Topaz right now and here she is, lamenting her love life. 

“ Besides-“ Toni continues, oblivious to the turmoil in Betty’s head, “ -he’s still seriously hung up on a girl he met a year ago so it’s not like he’s available or anything-“

Betty’s still so caught up in the sad part of Toni’s little monologue that it takes a minute for the last part of it to sink in.

“ What?” She asks coming to an abrupt stop, her heart emerging suddenly from her rib cage to lodge somewhere at the base of her throat. Toni looks at her, appearing almost surprised by the new information she’s divulged.

“ Don’t tell him I said that.” She says looking flustered, “ He hates talking about it!” 

Her heart seems to be riding the Ferris wheel as it plummets from her throat to sink somewhere in the pit of her stomach. A dull throbbing ache settles in her chest and she feels nauseous suddenly.

“ No.” She rasps out, “ Why would I say anything to him?”

“ Yeah. It’s crazy really. One year is a long time.” Toni says absentmindedly and resumes her walk towards the clearing where the party’s taking place. Betty can hear the sound of raucous laughter but she’s no more in the mood for any kind of partying.

“ Hey Toni, my sister’s here to pick me.”

“ Ok. See you around Cooper.” Toni responds as she waves in the air and soon she’s joined in all the fun and games. Betty turns on her heels and heart still hammering painfully calls her sister, even as she makes her way towards the road. It’s not even ten yet but she’s done.

She’s already walked one third of the way back by the time Polly catches up with her on her car.

“ Are you crazy?” Polly yells as she unlocks the door for her and Betty climbs in, slumping in the seat defeatedly. “ You want to get grounded for the rest of summer?”

“ Just drive home Pol.” Betty replies, desperately trying to keep her voice from trembling. Her sister stares at her incredulously then finally restarts the engine muttering to herself, but thankfully doesn’t ask questions.

It’s not until she tastes the salty warmth of her tears on her lips that Betty realizes she’s crying.

****

Her head feels twice it’s size as she shuffles in for work at exactly 2:00 pm the next day, feeling miserable and completely unprepared to face the boy who has caused her a pre-mature heartbreak. It sounds dramatic even to her but there’s no other word she can think of for the constant dull throbbing that’s been vexing her since last night.

As much as she’s tried to reason with herself, the sense of betrayal she feels is overwhelming. 

Jughead’s megawatt smile dims considerably at the look on her face and she’s not even behind the counter yet when he’s beside her, a hand touching her arm as she tries desperately not to flinch.

“ What’s wrong?” He asks, his face a picture of such genuine concern it breaks her heart all over again.

“ Nothing.” She replies immediately, not meeting his eyes.

Everything.

“ Betty please tell me.” Jughead tries again but then they’re interrupted by a woman with two kids waving at the ticket counter and Jughead whispers an urgent, “ I’ll be back.” Before he walks to the ticket booth, looking back twice at her worryingly. 

The next half hour is a repeat of the same and she’s so exhausted by the time the movie’s playing that when Jughead emerges from the theatre, she tells him she needs a bathroom break and disappears for a good fifteen minutes in the ladies toilet. 

She doesn’t cry again thankfully, but her head is throbbing and there’s a strange type of pressure just behind her eyelids.

She spends the rest of her time dodging him so expertly, Jughead eventually just gives up, looking completely bewildered and upset. The movie’s about to end so she just has to force herself through the next one hour with him. As soon as the next show starts, she’s going to go hide somewhere again.

She gets a broom and dust pan and the trusty trash bags they use as soon as the theatre is empty, not waiting for Jughead like she does usually. She hears him come in, about five minutes later but instead of starting to clear up he makes a beeline to where she’s standing, folding up the chairs one by one.

“ What’s wrong?” He demands again. “ Are you mad I left early last night?”

“ Oh please.” She retorts acidly, “ Not everything revolves around you.”

Jughead steps back so startled by the venom in her tone that she feels almost guilty for a second. She’s being so unfair, her mind provides for the hundredth time. His face morphs in to a hard expression she’s never seen before.

“ Ok.” He says quietly and turns around to walk away and her heart can’t bear it anymore.

“ Whose the girl you’re hung up on?”

He turns around so quickly it gives her whiplash. Jughead’s eyes look wild, “ What?”

She cuts straight to the point. “ Toni said there’s a girl you’ve liked for a whole year.”

His mouth is a thin line as he mutters, “ Toni’s a fucking idiot.”

“ Isn’t there?” She challenges.

He’s quiet for a minute, like he’s weighing his options and then admits finally, “ There is.”

Betty blinks at him for several long seconds, completely thrown off by his admission as the dull ache spreads evenly throughout her chest. He didn’t even bother denying it. Well she might as well stab herself one more time.

“ Who is it?”

Jughead looks at her almost defeatedly, swallows and then says in a low voice, “ It’s you.”

Betty scoffs and shakes her head, a strange kind of hurt and anger swirling in her chest. “ Don’t be stupid. Just tell me-“

“ I just did-“

“ Jughead stop!” She’s really angry now, and the anger is directed in equal parts at herself and him. What a joke. What a big fucking joke.

“ look- I know you don’t owe me anything and it’s unfair to ask- it’s your business and I get that- It’s just...”

It’s just that he kissed her. He kissed her and she kissed him back and fuck if it wasn’t the most wonderful thing ever...It’s all she’d been able to think about. He’d said the same but now he- he likes someone else? Likes that person enough to be hung up on her for a whole year? So where does that leave Betty? Is she a stand in? Is she a stupid rebound? What the actual fuck of all fucks.

“ Betty.” He tries again and she jerks her hand away when he tries to reach for her. 

“ Will you just sit down for a minute.” 

She glares at him and he sighs. 

“ You’re really going to have to sit down for this Betty. I’m about to embarrass myself and I really don’t want to be holding a dust pan and broom when I do that.”

He looks pretty miserable and although she wants to go with her instinct and just leave she knows that would be grossly unfair. Like she said, it’s not like he owes her anything...it was just a kiss.

She puts her broom and dust pan down and sits down stiffly, feeling uncomfortable. Jughead follows taking a seat next to hers but his own posture is so defensive it’s like they’re about to engage in some form of combat. 

She takes a deep breath and exhales while he’s staring straight ahead.

“ Well?” Betty prompts and Jughead glances at her, swallowing slowly. He looks so far removed from the cocky smart-mouthed boy she’d thought him first, vulnerable and nervous. For a second she has the urge to sweep her knuckles across his cheek and tell him it’s ok, it’s fine. She curls her fingers into her palms instead.

“ So last year,” he begins finally clearing his throat, “ I started work at Andrews construction with Sweetpea and Fangs and we kind of started hanging out with Archie and some other Northsiders. It turned out to be actual fun. Archie would talk about you sometimes, you know, random things like Betty does this or she says that. He made you sound pretty badass-Betty fixing cars, beating him at video games and the track. Then you turn up one day and I couldn’t believe you were the same person he was talking about.”

He glances at her and shakes his head, “ You were about as far removed from my idea of badass as you can go. Just this perfect, pretty Northsider with her unlimited supply of colour-coordinated outfits.”

Her face feels far too warm as she mutters in a strangled voice, “ That was my mom.”

Jughead’s eyes crinkle at her obvious discomfort, “ I didn’t mind them. You looked cute but just a little unequipped for any of the things Archie attributed you with. So one day Mr Andrews calls us all in the office around lunch time. He’d misplaced his keys that morning at the site and we spent two hours looking for them. We didn’t find them. Anyway he calls us in and asks us if we know how to pick a lock.”

He smiles wryly and her heart constricts a little. She knows the incident he’s talking about, she’d been there after all, but she has no idea where he’s going with it.

“ I mean I don’t blame the guy. Probably thought Southside boys, all gearing up to join a gang, must have picked a couple of locks before. He wasn’t even wrong. So we took out our pen knives and set to work but It’s some kind of complicated lock. Eventually the whole crew turns up and it’s this room full of buff boys trying to win Mr. A’s favour but we’re getting nowhere. And then you show.”

He looks at her sideways and a reluctant smile forms on her mouth. She knows this part. 

“ You’re wearing your usual pastel pink t-shirt and your ultra white keds looking completely out of place in that room with all of us oozing our macho masculine hormones and you ask Mr. Andrews if you can help out.” He mimics her in a breathy high pitched voice and Betty swats him on the arm. 

“ I do not speak like that!” she says indignantly and Jughead lets out a low laugh. The simmering anxiety in her chest is already beginning to resolve. 

“ All of us just looked at you and rolled our eyes apart from Archie,” Jughead says shaking his head. “ Even Mr Andrews. And then you pulled out this bobby pin from your hair and God knows what magic comes out of it because whaddaya know...lock opens and Mr. A gets the files he needs. I remember everyone in the room literally had their jaws on the floor. And Mr Andrews made us clap for you.”

Betty’s practically beaming at him now. It had been such a moment. All those boys had looked at her like they’d seen her for the first time. And all because she knew how to pick a lock with a pin- thanks to her trusty Nancy Drew guide book from the seventh grade.

“ Wow.” She laughs, “ that’s a lot of detail you remember.”

“ Yeah well it was a memorable kind of day-”

“ But I don’t get what this has to do with anything.” Betty interjects frowning.

Jughead pauses and this time his sigh comes out almost wistful, “ That’s the day that I started crushing on you.” He says quietly and Betty blinks at him for several long stupefied seconds before she finally croaks,” What?”

Jughead shrugs.” You heard me. I’ve had a crush on you ever since. Toni was talking about you Betty. You’re the girl I’ve been hung up on for a year.” 

Betty opens her mouth, closes it, swallows twice and then heart hammering asks again,” What?”

“ I’m not going to repea-“

“ You’ve had a crush on me for a whole year?” Betty asks breathlessly, relief washing over her in waves as her heart begins to feel light as a feather. Everything seems to be falling in place.

“ Yeah- lame I know but well you know my big dirty secret now-“

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence and Betty doesn’t care where she got the courage from because she’s already in his lap kissing him senseless. Jughead seems too dazed to respond for a few seconds but eventually catches up to her and is soon very willingly returning her kisses just as enthusiastically, his hands gripping her waist securely against him. 

“ Betty-“ He pants trying to catch his breath, a wide grin on his face and Betty cuts him off with another hard kiss on the mouth.

“ You jerk!” She says dropping kisses all over his face and his eyes are crinkled up so adorably she wants to just squish his cheeks.

She pulls back eventually cheeks pink, already feeling embarrassed at her outburst. She’s still straddling him and Jughead looks like he’s been thoroughly man handled, hair dishevelled, eyes dark and face flushed. Betty can feel her face grow hot. This is hardly third kiss ever protocol. She untangles herself from him trying to step back as gracefully as she can without landing on her ass. Jughead’s hands fall limply to his sides and he watches her, a still slightly stupefied expression on his face looking very much like he has no idea what he’s supposed to do.

Betty clears her throat and tucks her hair behind her ears as Jughead gets up from his seat, standing in front of her. She has no idea where the girl that mauled him just now has disappeared off to, leaving behind her usual awkward self to deal with the consequences.

“ So umm-“ Jughead says rubbing his hand on his jeans and Betty wonders briefly if his palms feels as sweaty as hers,” I guess you’re not mad at me anymore?”

Betty narrows her eyes at him and his face breaks into a grin again.

“ Why didn’t you tell me?” She says in a small voice. Maybe she should have waited a little before crushing him with her kisses. He’s waited a whole year to tell her he likes her. And here she is just throwing herself at him like she’s the most desperate girl on the North side of the tracks. 

She’s feeling so miserable that it takes her by surprise when he reaches out and grasps her hand, squeezing tightly. His palms really are as sweaty as her own. 

“ Why didn’t you ask me out?” She asks biting the inside of her cheek and Jughead looks at her with the same vulnerable rawness of just minutes before. She must be going crazy. It’s completely unnatural to be feeling so much all at once for both herself and this boy.

“ I wanted to,” he says finally sitting down on the seat again and pulling her down so that she’s seated next to him,” I tried two whole weeks to build up the courage to talk to you and ask you out.”

“ So why didn-“

“ It’s not easy Betty.” He says cutting her mid sentence,” I’m a Southsider.”

Betty gapes at him,” So what?”

“ You know what Betty.” Jughead sighs. “ How many Southsiders do you know that hang out with Northsiders, let alone date them?”

Betty shakes her head at him in disbelief,“ So you decided to not say anything about it and-“

“-no I did decide to do something about it despite the obvious issues. And the day I finally decided to talk to you, you didn’t show up. Or the next day or the next. I found out later you’d left for an internship in LA.”

Betty blows out some air and nods slowly.

“ Yeah. I was gone for a month.”

“ I found that out...my friends already knew by then that I had a thing for you and-” he pauses, his ears turning red, “ -well they pretty much made it a mission to find out as much about you as they could.”

There’s a hint of resignation in his tone as he continues,” School was starting again by the time you came back. And I stopped working construction so I didn’t get to see Archie any more. So I just gave up.”

His expression softens, “ I spent the whole time lamenting about it. I’d catch glimpses of you around town, and you were always surrounded by friends. Sweetpea and Toni teased me a lot about it. Which is why-“ he stops and shrugs “-I guess that’s why I was so weird with you around them- I was terrified they’d spill the beans about my little crush.” 

“ Why didn’t you...why didn’t you say anything after we started working together”

Jughead shrugs smiling wryly,” what was i supposed to say? Hey new girl who just became aware of my existence five minutes ago I’m the creep who’s been pining after you for a whole year”

“ I was aware of your existence before that.” She says quietly, “ And I’ve never thought of you as a creep.”

He nods but doesn’t say anything and Betty falls quiet too. What a revelation she muses. She thinks back to the past one year that had afforded her a total of three failed dates and a shit ton of insecurities. She hadn’t exactly been dying to be in a relationship but things did tend to take their toll when her two best friends were dating. All planned activities felt more like dates where she was third wheeling. 

It’s funny to think that all that time there had been a beautiful boy pining after her. The same boy she’s been pretty much pining after since the day she got to know him.

He touches his pinkie to hers like he did once before and she snaps out of her thoughts when he moves closer and says, “ I really, really like you Betty.”

Somewhere far away, maybe a million miles from here, the low incessant buzz of voices reaches her and she realizes with a jolt they’re probably late for the next show and there are people waiting outside.

But that’s the last thing on her mind as slowly she reaches forward and presses her mouth softly to his once more as a soft pleased little sound escapes his mouth.

“ I really, really like you too Jughead.” She says.

Tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyyyy they kissed! And Jughead liked her all along- of course he did! Any way I hope this was a satisfying read after all the broody mysterious airs Jug was putting on:) please let me know what you guys thought! Nothing makes me happier then your lovely comments and kudos! I'm @honestlyhappymoon on tumblr if you's like to come say hi!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! I'm back from the dead apparently and no surprise the chapter got out of hand as usual! This is a long one folks and we've got some horny teens doing a little healty sexual experimentation so buckle up! In keeping up with that i've changed the fic rating to Mature so fair warning!
> 
> Special shoutout to Lana @jjonesin4 for her very lovely guidance through certain confusions I was faced with:p this one's for you girl!
> 
> Also credit where credit is due I've used Richard Siken's poetic masterpiece as the starting paragraph and Lana Del Ray's Cinnamon girl makes an appearence. I hope you love this chapter because it was a monster to write!!

“ You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and he won’t tell you that he loves you, but he loves you. And you feel like you’ve done something terrible, like robbed a liquor store, or swallowed pills, or shovelled yourself a grave in the dirt, and you’re tired. You’re in a car with a beautiful boy and you’re trying not to tell him that you love him, and you’re trying to choke down that feeling, and you’re trembling, but he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you’ve discovered something you don’t even have a name for.” Richard Siken- Crush.

****

There’s a text waiting for her when she wakes up the next morning.

‘Hey.’

It’s ridiculous how happy those three alphabets constituting that one little word make her. She grins silently at the screen, squinting at it. Her eyes are still heavy from sleep, the room still dark. It’s early and she has at least an hour before she has to get out of bed. The message has a small 5:45 written next to it. He must have sent it as he was getting the diner ready for the early morning shift change.

She types out a, ‘ Good Morning’ and hits send. The butterflies in her tummy lazily flutter their wings as she waits for the screen to light up again.

His response comes two seconds later.

‘ Sleep well?’

‘ Yeah. You?’ Betty’s about to hit send when she realizes he’s probably been up all night and will only now be going home to get some sleep. Her heart lurches painfully at the thought as she retypes, ‘ Yeah. How was the shift?’ then hits send.

‘ Pretty good. Heading home now.’ 

She looks at the screen, wondering if she should bid him sweet dreams and if that will sound cheesy. She hasn’t yet decided on it when another text comes.

‘ See you at work.’- followed by a ‘ :-* ‘

It’s a kiss emoji and it makes her giddy. She sends one back with a ‘ See ya.’ The phone doesn’t light up after that. She rereads the texts until her eyes begin to feel blurry, the words jumbling up. There’s a kiss faced emoji behind her eyelids as sleep takes over again.

The next time Betty wakes up there’s another message notification on her phone and her heart leaps as she unlocks her phone and checks her inbox.

It’s not Jughead but Archie. 

Her best friend, the one who is dating her other best friend, has been sporadically in touch with her over the course of summer while visiting his mom in Chicago. He’ll drop a few texts every now and then, and disappear in true Archie style for an unknown period of time so that the many follow up texts remain unanswered. Betty has learned not to take it personally because she knows by now that it’s not something he does intentionally. Even Veronica knows she can’t really rely on Archie’s texting capability and resorts mainly to calling him whenever she needs.

Betty’s limited phone budget doesn’t allow this however. 

His text simply says, “ Booked our tickets for the flight home!”

“ Oh great!!” She texts back. Then sends another, “ When for?”

She’s not really expecting a reply but he texts back almost immediately.

“ 26th.”

That’s two weeks from now and she smiles. It’ll be nice to have them back. Their summer vacations end in another three weeks so they’ll have a little time to catch up. Her mind wanders to Jughead. He knows Archie. And she’d love to introduce Veronica to him. Ronnie already knows who he is. She’ll have to beg her best friend not to divulge too many details about their texts regarding Jughead in front of him.

She lies in bed lazily imagining the four of them in a booth at Pop’s, sharing jokes and laughing: her best friends sitting across them, Jughead’s arm thrown across her shoulder while she sips on her milkshake and he inhales his burgers.

It’s a pretty perfect picture. 

As soon as she tells her friends that it, she reminds herself.

Polly’s eating cereal with her mother downstairs. They’re quiet but the silence isn’t strained; it’s comfortable, friendly almost. 

“ Morning.” Betty greets brightly as she makes a beeline for the fridge. Her share of grapefruit is already at the table next to her mother’s. She takes out the milk and pours herself a glass.

“ You look exceedingly chipper this morning.” Her mother observes and Betty’s heart goes into overdrive for a second before she realizes her mother can’t actually read her mind. She tries to shrug nonchalantly. 

“ Arch and Ronnie are coming back on the 26th.” That’s a convincing enough reason for her to be happy. There is no need to bring up texts from a certain boy.

Her mother takes a sip of her coffee and gets up to rinse her mug. She’s already dressed for work.

“ Your father’s insisting we do some hiring for the register and we have a couple of candidates coming in for interviews.”

Polly isn’t really paying attention but Betty’s ears perk up.

“ Someone we know?”

Alice shrugs, “ I haven’t really seen any of their resumes yet. It would have been lovely if you were there with us helping out-“

Betty swallows, “ Mom I have work-“

“ - I know I know-“ her mother interrupts frowning, “ God forbid you miss a day of work at that ridiculous theatre. Which reminds me when do you plan on quitting? I won’t have you working late hours the last week of your vacation.”

She blinks at her mother.

“ I- I haven’t really thought about it- soon I guess.” She has no idea why she’s stammering but the reality of her mother’s words just hit her. She hadn’t even thought about this aspect of the approaching new school year. It’s a rude awakening if ever there was one and she just stands there gaping at Alice’s retreating form.

Polly looks at her oddly and it takes Betty a minute to register she’s talking to her when she says, “ Is something wrong?”

“ No.” Betty says but her voice sounds small. She sighs and takes a seat next to her sister, pointedly ignoring the grapefruit as she fills a bowl with cereal.

“ You sure there isn’t something you wanna talk about?” She presses and Betty has a sudden memory of that first time Polly had sneaked in to her room and told her about Jason. The wide eyed wonder Betty’s fourteen year old self had felt. The way Polly had looked; happy and excited- almost feverish. She feels nothing of that euphoria right now, no pressing need to reveal the details of her first kiss...just a sense of impending doom. The shift in her mood has been as abrupt as her mother’s words.

“ Not really.” She turns her head away, pretending she’s looking at her phone so Polly will stop staring at her.

“ Are you sure? There isn’t a weird beanie wearing boy on your mind right now?” 

Betty looks around so fast her ponytail hits her smack on the face.

“ What?”

Polly snorts, “ Your crush on your co worker is as transparent as mom’s finest crystal ware.”

Betty swallows and sighs giving up, “ Yeah well.” Polly’s still looking at her so dreamily, it’s disconcerting. Betty rolls her eyes, “ We kissed ok?”

“ I knew it!” She squeals doing a little clap and a smile appears reluctantly on Betty’s face although her heart still feels like it’s lodged itself in her throat.

“ Why didn’t you tell me?” Her sister asks sounding almost hurt. Betty looks at her guiltily and swallows another mouthful, taking the time to chew. She has no idea what to say to her other than the fact that she’s still a little wary of her sister’s mood swings and that she’s still not sure they’re back at that point where they slip under the covers and pour their hearts out to each other. 

“ There wasn’t much to tell Pol-“ She mumbles, still avoiding eye contact. “ I don’t know where it’s leading-“

“ But you like him right?” Polly interjects.

Betty nods and there’s something so infectious about her sister’s grin that she feels some of her earlier giddiness return.

******

Despite Polly’s rather sweet approval of her entry in to the world of romance, she’s still feeling slightly thrown off when she turns up for work ten minutes early. Dilton’s just emerging from the theatre with his dustpan and trash bag. 

“ Hey Betty.” He greets waving the trash bag around and a few wrappers fall out .

“ Hey.” Betty returns bending to pick up the wrappers and depositing them carefully in the loaded trash bag, “ How was the shift?”

“ Same old, same old.” Dilton shrugs and Betty watches exasperated as a few more wrappers fall out again. “ Toni’s in a weird mood so shittier than usual.”

“ Oh.” Betty says, blinking at him. Dilton dumps the bag in the trash can and wipes the sweat off his forehead using his t-shirt. Betty wrinkles her nose as he takes off his glasses and wipes them clean on his shirt too.

“ Lady trouble I guess.” He says sourly and she suddenly feels a surge of sympathy for him. She’d always suspected Dilton was harbouring some kind of a crush on Toni. Guess she was right.

“ You wanna smoke? I’m going up. I could use some company.”

“ Um- I have to change and set up the stand-“ Betty says apologetically. “ But I can make you some buttered popcorn if you like.”

Dilton grins at her. “ I’ve had enough popcorn this summer to last me a life time. Anyway this is prime weed I’m talking about Betty so it’s your loss.”

He salutes her and stalks off in the direction of the balcony. She picks up the stray wrappers again shaking her head and throws them in the trash. Jughead’s not here yet. He’d texted her he’d be a little late so she has another ten minutes before she needs to reapply her lip gloss (not that it will last when he gets here she thinks with a smile).

She walks to the store room and pushes the door open. It’s dark inside but Toni’s sprawled out on the old couch that’s crammed in the corner. She’s typing away at her phone, the light of the screen enough to show her expression is glum.

“ Hey.” She greets dully without looking up.

“ Hi.” Betty says squinting at her, edging closer, “ What’s up.”

Toni shrugs sitting up a little and Betty takes that as an indication to sit. 

“ Cheryl broke up with me.” She says abruptly.

“ Oh my God no!” Betty cries out immediately reaching out to hold Toni’s hand. The girl looks surprised but gives her hand a grateful tug.

“ I’m really sorry Toni.” 

Toni shrugs again, “ It’s ok. We’ve been going back and forth all summer. I guess I’ve been prepared for it a little.” 

“ Why?” Betty asks incredulously.

“ Summer’s almost over. I wasn’t expecting for it to last beyond that-“ She shakes her head. Betty can tell she’s trying not to cry and it makes her own throat constrict. Toni presses her palms to her eyes.

“ I’m such a fucking idiot-“ She says after a pause, voice muffled, “ I told her I loved her. Have you heard anything dumber than that?” 

Betty’s heart sinks. That certainly seems like the kind of thing that might propel Cheryl into further chaos. Toni seems to be thinking the same thing. “ I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut. She wasn’t even thinking about- fuck-” She lets out a shuddering breath, “- I freaked out I guess.” 

Betty nods but doesn’t say anything. She has no idea how to respond and keeping quiet seems like the best option. At least Toni’s still holding her hand.

They sit there quietly until Toni breaks the silence. “ She did say she liked me back. That’s more than she’s ever said before.”

“ Then why’d she-“

“ She says we’re being unrealistic and she’s- right I guess? She’s all set to leave for Yale. It’d be a miracle if I made it to community college. It’s too messy if we try to make it work and,-“ She stops and a tear trickles down her face. Betty shuffles closer and puts an arm around her. Toni leans in to the comfort of her embrace. 

“ I’m really sorry Toni.” Betty murmurs softly, “ I don’t really know Cheryl that well but- for her to tell you that she likes you...I think that’s a lot coming from her.”

Toni sniffs then nods but remains quiet. Betty just holds her until the other girl rests her head softly on her shoulder. They sit there for some time quietly and Betty’s only beginning to wonder if she should text Jughead and ask him if he can manage on his own for a little bit when Toni finally stirs.

“ I should get going.” She says unfolding herself, sitting up.

“ I can hang out with you if you want,” Betty offers unsurely, “ We could go to Pop’s or-“

“ Nah-“ Toni cuts her off getting up and Betty’s arm falls limply to her side, “ I need to get going, not really hungry any way.” She pauses then gives Betty a watery smile, “ It’s sweet of you to offer though- thanks Betty-“

“ -hey no-“

“-I mean for listening. It was sweet.” 

Betty shrugs, “ Least I could do. I’m here if you want to talk Toni.”

Toni slips off her t-shirt and puts on another, shorter tighter one from her bag. Betty tries not to notice how great her boobs look in it.

“ Thanks but I think I’m done talking about her. I’m not going to sit around and think about it.” 

Betty nods and Toni walks out the door after saying goodbye. She gets up and takes out her own red and white tee, changing quickly and smoothing her ponytail. She’s already ten minutes late.

Outside there’s no one In the lobby and she wonders where Jughead is. Her mind is still reeling from Toni’s confession and she walks absent-mindedly towards the little store behind the food counter to get pop corn and candy refills for the stand.

She’s bent over one of the cartons when the door opens and although she’s sure it’s Jughead she’s not prepared for his arms to come around her and haul her up against him the next second.

She squeals and turns, breathless even before she’s seen him and he doesn’t wait before he’s got his lips on hers. Everything seems to fade away with that feeling and all that exists is him and her and this quiet little room. All that matters is that he kisses her so wonderfully she thinks no other boy has ever kissed a girl like this before.

They break apart for air and Betty puts her arms around him and buries her face in his neck. She’s still feeling overwhelmed with everything; her friends coming home, her mother’s sharp reminder, the fact that Toni and Cheryl are broken up simply because it’s the end of summer vacations. The whole world seems to be hurtling towards the end of summer.

“ Someone missed me.” Jughead teases. His arms are heavy around her, holding her close. It’s insane that someone she didn’t even know just a few weeks ago can make her feel so safe and wanted. 

“ Hey? You ok?” 

She can hear the concern in his voice and the tight knot in her stomach loosens a little. Betty takes a deep shuddering breath and pulls back. Jughead’s face is morphed in a frown.

“ Cheryl broke up with Toni.” She tells him in a small voice.

Jughead’s frown deepens, “ Oh.” 

“ Yeah.” Betty shrugs, “ She seemed okay. I have no idea why I’m so upset.”

“ She probably seemed ok because this isn’t the first time it’s happened.” He tells her and Betty nods but doesn’t say anything. She’d figured out that on her own given what Toni had told her.

“ Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Jughead says softly flicking her ponytail. “ Toni’s tough. She’ll be ok whatever happens.”

“ Ok.” Betty says and hugs him again. They just stand there for a few minutes till Jughead pulls back.

“ As much as I want to stay here, we’re kind of wanted outside.” He whispers and tickles her side. She swats his hand away managing a smile. There’s a strange kind of heaviness still in her chest but she’ll manage. He’s already uplifted her mood. With him and his kisses and his silly jokes she’ll manage.

******

Her days pass in a strange state of contradictions where the hours stretch endlessly when it’s her alone with her anxiety about everything that’s beginning to jumble up a little in her head and her time with Jughead where the hours seem to fly.

He kisses her...a lot. It’s flattering. Jughead kisses her with the kind of hunger that makes her wonder how he waited for a whole year to do it. He kisses her like he’d be happy just doing that for the rest of his life. 

They haven’t done much outside of that. It’s mostly been kissing and a little grinding. There was that one time when he accidently cupped her boob and she froze (he’d apologised so profusely Betty had wished she had the guts to tell him she was not in the least offended and that she would very much like for him to do it again), but other than that everything has been pretty PG13. 

She wants to...do more. She’s certainly thought about it. Her previously faceless fantasies have a very Jughead like silhouette now. Jughead on the other hand seems pretty content with the lazy making out a few minutes in the store rooms allow. Or the occasional, longer sessions their trips to the balcony afford. 

She supposes he’s trying to be a gentleman about it. But given how long he’d waited to tell her he liked her, she’s not too sure she wants to wait that long for him to make a move. Maybe she can take things in her own hands. That’s certainly what Veronica would do. She should tell her friend about this new development. Get a few pointers. 

Toni hangs out with them sometimes now that her free time isn’t taken up by Cheryl and if she’s noticed some shift in their relationship, she doesn’t comment. Not that they put up any PDA but Jughead does tend to casually touch her a lot. And she’s pretty sure the goofy grins they wear around each other are a give away.

They’re upstairs on the balcony again one day on their usual fifteen minute break when she tells him about Arch and Ronnie coming back. They talk so much but it’s rarely about the mundane details of their every day life.

“ That’s great.” Jughead tells her and she smiles happily.

“ It’ll be good to have them back. You already know Archie but I’m dying to introduce you to Ronnie too. She’s the biggest movie buff I know besides you and I think you’ll really like her.”

It’s hard to keep out the enthusiasm in her voice but she notes Jughead’s quiet. He fidgets with the zipper on his hoodie and then his phone.

“ What’s wrong?” Betty asks sensing the way his easy smile looks a little forced.

“ Nothing-“ Jughead says but when she arches her eyebrows he sighs, “ Just...Betty your friend is a Lodge. They practically own the half of Riverdale. I wouldn’t really count on her being too eager to bond with me.”

“ Jug...” Betty chides, reaching over to take his constantly fidgeting fingers in her hand, “...my friends will want to know you because we’re-“ she pauses, biting her lip, unsure on what exact term to use, “- well we’re seeing each other and that alone.” She swallows trying to figure out if she’s phrased herself correctly. 

Jughead doesn’t look too certain but nods anyway and when she continues to stare at him pointedly, tugs her ponytail and smiles wryly, “ Ok Betty. Whatever you say. I’m sure everyone will be thrilled to meet me.”

She’s still pouting so Jughead pulls her into his lap, resting her back against his chest and slips an earpiece in her ear. 

“ This ok?” He whispers and the brush of his lips against her skin is like a sensual caress. She nods and leans in to him, resting her head against his shoulder. Jughead’s arms come around her, his chin resting on her head. It’s like their limbs have learned how to fit perfectly together.

“ Jug-“ She says after sometime. She’s not really paying attention to what they’re listening to. His taste in music is eclectic but she likes it. 

“ Yeah?”

“ What if I had gotten that job at Pop’s first and we never got to work together?”

He smiles lazily. She can’t see his face but she can tell it from the way his lips curve against her cheek. “ Then you’d be sweating in front of the grill and I’d be loosing my mind trying to figure out if I was hungry for the burger or the waitress-“

She lets out a startled laugh and turns to him, eyes dancing, “ You’re ridiculous you know that.”

“ Oh I don’t know- I’ve been told I’m all dark and mysterious.”

“ Uh huh-“

“ -exceedingly sexy-“

“- yeah ok-“

“- my appeal is off the charts-“

“- well I agree.”

Jughead snorts, squinting at her. Betty frowns at him, “ What?”

“ I’m trying to figure out if you’re bluffing.”

“ Why would I bluff?”

Jughead shrugs but smiles at her almost wistfully. 

“ I’m sitting in your lap and will probably kiss you in the next five seconds. Is that not enough evidence to convince you?” Betty asks. Jughead looks like he’s unsure on how to respond and she feels a sudden desire to cradle his face and kiss away all the insecurities he has about them.

“ Take me on a date Juggie.” She whispers in his ear and it comes out low and so seductive it surprises her. Jughead’s fingers curl around her waist involuntarily.

“ Yeah?” He asks staring at her mouth like he could just devour it.

“ Yeah.” Betty nods, “ Take me on a date and take me for a drive and then make out with me in the backseat of a car.”

“ My truck has a bed-“ He’s teasing her but she stops him with a kiss and just like that all hint of teasing is gone as he kisses her back hungrily.

“ Ok then. Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at eight. In a car.”

She giggles, but there’s a strange look on his face that makes her feel warm all over and she nods.

“ Ok.” She sighs happily. “ Eight o’ clock.”

******

It’s not her first ever date but it’s certainly the first she’s so excited for. It’s also the first date she knows will end (hopefully) in more than a chaste kiss on the cheek. 

Polly who’s been badgering her for details since the morning Betty confessed about her new development with Jughead is actually quite helpful. She does her hair and her nails and even helps shave off a strip of hair along her calf that she’d somehow missed during her bath. 

“ I’m so excited for you.” Polly sighs for what feels like the hundredth time, “ And I’m feeling all nostalgic thinking about when we first went out.”

Betty rolls her eyes. She’s not too thrilled with the constant Jason/Jughead comparisons Polly’s been throwing her way. She only barely agrees with Jason at best. He’s nothing like Jughead.

“ Have you guys- um you know?”

“ Pol No!” Betty says turning a deep shade of pink that strangely compliments the peach sleeveless blouse she’s wearing. Polly grins at her.

“ What? You’re being so stingy about details.”

“ That’s because there are no details,” Betty says indignantly to which Polly responds with a very un-Polly like snort.

“ Besides-“ She continues frowning, “ Even if there were I wouldn’t exactly tell you!”

“ Why on Earth not?” Polly asks actually looking confused. Betty just shakes her head at her in disbelief.

“ I just- It’s personal...” She can feel the heat creeping up her neck at the way her sister’s looking at her.

“ Wow you’re really smitten with him aren’t you. That’s a good sign. It’s exactly how I felt.”

Betty bites her cheek to stop herself from saying something that will come off as rude. Polly seems to be happy with whatever she thinks Betty is trying to tell her and after adding a few finishing touches to her make up, wanders off to her own room to change her shoes. She’s volunteered to drive Betty to Pop’s where Jughead will pick her up. 

Her mom is still blissfully unaware that she’s going out with a Southside boy. She’s planning to keep it that way for the time being at least. She needs to figure out things at her own pace before having to deal with all the drama her mother will undoubtedly bring.

The drive to Pop’s is a short ten minutes and Polly continues to recount tales of her own first date while Betty’s barely paying attention.

“ Jughead will be here any minute. You don’t have to wait.” She tells her sister as she unbuckles her seat belt and opens the door.

Polly arches an eyebrow in that way she has, a look that reminds her how much she resembles their mom, “ You’re in a hurry to be rid of me but no judgement.” Then she squints around as if looking for someone, “ Although I was hoping to catch a glimpse of your date..”

“ Pol..” Betty sighs exasperated.

“ What? Too soon to meet the family?”

“ Polly!”

“ Ok! Ok! I’ll just go.” She grins at Betty and says, “ I’d say don’t do what I wouldn’t but I’ve done pretty much everything so-“

“ Ughh Polly!” Betty cries in disgust and her sister finally drives off, her laughter still audible over the sound of the tyres screeching.

She’s standing still cringing internally at her sister’s oversharing when a car honks loudly and she realizes it’s Jughead inside an old model Nissan she knows belongs to Toni’s uncle.

She skips over to where he’s waiting, her face breaking in to a wide grin that is mirrored by the one on his face. He slips out of his seat and Betty jumps in to his waiting arms with so much enthusiasm that he nearly loses his balance.

“ Whoa.” Jughead chuckles, “ I can’t think of the last time a pretty girl was this happy to see me.”

“ Good for me.” Betty says kissing his cheek but before she can pull back he grabs her chin and kisses her full on the lips. Her arms snake around his waist and she pulls him closer and they kiss almost languidly till Jughead pulls back.

“ You look really nice.” He says and the tips of his ears are pink. He looks pretty nice himself. He’s wearing his usual jeans but they’re paired with a dark blue button down that bring out the colour of his eyes nicely. Betty bites her lip as something flutters low in her belly.

“ Thank you.” She replies and as he opens the door for her and gestures for her to sit, the same fluttering becomes more pronounced.

The drive to Greendale takes about twenty minutes because the road is unusually traffic free and once they’ve reached the town Jughead drives straight to a diner lit up with a huge neon sign that says, “ Rina’s Kitchenette.” 

“ We drove out of a diner in Riverdale to come to a diner in Greendale.” Betty asks arching an eyebrow at him. Jughead scratches the back of his neck and then jams his hands in his pocket. 

“ That sounds like a pretty dumb idea when you put it that way.” He muses winking at her and she just laughs at him but holds out her hand, which he takes immediately. 

The inside of the diner is actually quite nice, with it’s subtle small town charm and casual cute decor. The place is packed much like Pop’s and Jughead leads her to a booth at the back where it’s relatively quite. 

A waitress walks up to them as soon as they’re seated and Jughead orders after confirming with her.

“ Come here often?” Betty asks. Jughead clearly knows this place.

“ Yeah but only since I started my shift at Pop’s. But Toni and Sweet Pea swear by her Smash burger. It’s the one you ordered and it’s pretty good.”

Betty nods turning around to where Jughead’s pointing. An attractive looking middle aged woman is serving pie at the counter. She has a loud voice and bushy brown hair and looks pretty fierce.

“ That’s Rina.” And Betty mouths an ‘O’.

“ So how does this work.” Betty asks smiling at him, folding her hands in front of her. Jughead’s fiddling with the salt and pepper shakers and she finds herself drawn to the movement of his fingers.

“ How does what work?”

“ This-“ She gestures between them, “ This date with you in a diner.”

Jughead’s mouth curves lop sidedly, “ Quid pro quo-I tell you things, you tell me things.”

She quirks an eyebrow, “ You’re quoting Hannibal Lecter on a first date?”

He waggles his eyebrows at her grinning, “ It’s a great conversation starter, you’ve got to admit.”

Betty sticks out her tongue at him and his grin widens.

“ Ok. So what do you want to know.”

“ Uh- what’s your favourite snack?”

She giggles at that, “ That’s what you wanna know?”

“ I’m learning. Give a guy a chance.”

She takes a minute to think about it. “ Butterfingers when I’m craving something sweet. And Doritos.”

“ Ok. What’s your favourite colour?”

“ A midnight blue. I would say pink because there’s a lot of it in my wardrobe but it’s not my favourite.”

“ Ok. Favourite t.v show?”

“ Uhhhmmm...Game of thrones before the last season.” She rolls her eyes, “ But I like binging on Friends. Are all my answers cliché Northside blonde girl next door?”

Jughead’s eyes crinkle In amusement, “ They’re pretty close to what I had in my mind.”

“ Will you still like me if I say I also enjoy Taylor Swift and had a huge crush on Harry Styles about a year ago?”

Jughead barks out a laugh this time, “ You had me at hello Cooper.”

Betty sighs dramatically and takes another bite from her burger.

“ Do I get to ask you questions now?” 

“ Sure...but you’re not allowed to ask the secret to my glorious facial hair.”

Betty bursts out laughing and he joins in. The rest of their dinner is a mixture of ridiculous work stories and random silly questions interspersed with Betty’s constant amazement at his appetite.

“ How are you so skinny?” She bemoans as she watches him finish his third burger and the rest of her leftover fries.

“ That’s not a very flattering word choice Betty.” He says wagging a finger at her.

“ Shut-up! I’d kill to have your metabolism. You’re just reaping the benefits of good genes.”

A look passes over his face, the easy laughter disappearing for a second only till he schools his features back to normal so quickly that she almost misses it.

“ Yeah.” He chews slowly, not making eye contact, “ Yeah you could say that.” 

Something like anxiety bubbles up and she wonders if she should ask him what’s wrong and if it’s something she’s said when he interrupts her thoughts by signalling to the waitress.

“ Dessert?” He asks. His tone is back to normal but she’s still feeling a little thrown off as she shakes her head.

“ We’ll take a vanilla milkshake to go.” He tells the waitress as he pays the bill and while she’s gone to get it for them, reaches across the table and takes her hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

“ Good time?” He asks and there’s something so eager and hopeful in the way he says that, it makes her want to cup his face and kiss him senseless. And as much as she wants to ask him what went wrong for that little fraction of time, she just presses his hand tightly and nods, “ Super good time.”

Outside they walk still hand in hand to where Toni’s car is parked and Betty takes out her cell phone from the little purse she’s carrying while Jughead takes out the car keys.

“ I have an hour before we need to get back.” She says checking her phone, her body suddenly buzzing with anticipation. One hour is a lot of time.

Jughead seems to have caught on to what she’s thinking as he starts the engine and there’s a slightly husky quality to his voice as he brushes his knuckles on her knees and asks, “ Where to milady?”

They end up driving to the river again and Jughead rolls down the windows so that the lull of Sweetwater rushing by is a lovely sound to serve as a background noise.

“ I know you said no to dessert but you at least deserve a sugary drink.” He says as he takes out the milkshake he’d ordered and hands it to her.

“ Well aren’t you the sweetest.” Betty laughs batting her eye lashes at him and he snorts but then Betty leans forward and she knows the movement puts her cleavage on display, “ You deserve a reward for your thoughtfulness.”

Jughead swallows audibly his eyes flitting between her face and lower (exactly where she wants), “ I don’t know what you’re expecting Cooper, but I’m not the kind of guy that goes all the way on a first date.”

“ Dork.” She laughs crumpling up the take away bag and hitting him square in the chest but instead of recoiling he reaches forward and brushes his mouth against hers. Such a simple small gesture and it has her heart beat thundering again. She undoes the seat belt, fingers fumbling slightly and climbs almost clumsily over the centre console, landing in his lap so abruptly he lets out a surprised grunt.

“ Sorry! I’m so sorry!” Betty says apologetically but Jughead seems to have only realized the new position is far more favourable and simply returns her apology with a very enthusiastically placed kiss on the dip between her breasts.

“ Oh.” Betty gasps but her fingers card through his hair encouragingly and Jughead continues to kiss her neck, her collar bones, her pulse point. Betty is so lost in the sensation that it’s only when she hears his low hiss that she realizes she’s grinding against what is without doubt Jughead’s very prominent erection. 

She swallows the nerves and pulls back a little, “ Should we uh- should we move back?”

Jughead’s eyes widen a little but he nods, “ If you want that.”

“ Ok”

She pushes herself awkwardly up, half climbing half jumping to reach the back seat. Jughead joins her and she stretches out on the seat as he lies down next to her.

“ It makes me feel weird to think Cheryl Blossom may have made out on this very seat with Toni.”

“ Yeah. On the bright side at least the seat will be jizz free.” Jughead snorts, “ Unless you count that one time Sweet Pea-“

“-oh my God! Stop!” Betty squeals, covering his mouth with her hand and Jughead laughs out loudly, a hot burst of air against her palm. She feels a warm rush of affection for him and softly kisses his cheek. There’s a pleased sort of smile on his face as she draws back.

“ Hello there.” He says and Betty giggles.

“ Hey.”

She feels loose limbed and happy. Like the girls on t.v on their secret dates with those boys they can’t get enough of. There’s something deliciously good about this moment, something uncoiling all the tight knitted knots that overwhelm her at times- and the fact that Jughead is lying next to her, just perfectly content like this- makes her loose lipped too.

Without thinking about it she says,“ Do you ever touch yourself?”

Jughead’s eyes crinkle and he looks at her, expression bemused. “ I’m a seventeen year old boy Betty. What do you think?”

She smiles goofily but falls quiet. Jughead’s hand is a warm weight on her stomach, unmoving, laying flat palm down, fingers spread out like he wants to be touching the maximum possible surface area of her body. His breath feels strangely fluid against her neck. Just lying with him like this is the most intimate she’s ever been with anyone and as much as she wants more- there’s a little part of her that thinks she could just lie here forever with him.

“ Do you ever touch yourself?” Jughead asks abruptly and the slight inflection on the ‘you’ snaps her out of her stupor. She blinks several times trying to work her mouth to move. 

“ I- yeah I guess, “ She replies swallowing and has no idea why she feels the need to say,” Not a lot.”

His tone is teasing and light when he says, “ Hey no judgement.” 

He kisses her softly and licks a slow experimental stripe down her neck. It makes her eyes roll back. Makes her mouth open in a silent ‘o’.

His fingers start making soft slow circles around her belly button and there’s a tiny part of her brain cataloguing every miniscule change in the way they move, the subtle pressure they exert and very slowly dip into that little hollow space. A strange kind of heat erupts between her legs from that alone. Jughead’s watching her with hooded eyes and he leans close again as he whispers,“ You ever made yourself come?” 

She lets out a little gasp just as his hand moves lower over her stomach, lower than it’s ever been before. She has no idea if what he’s saying is some kind of ‘dirty talk’ but she is unbearably turned on. His fingers continue tracing light patterns on her shirt just where it’s tucked into the waist band of her skirt and she feels a terrible desire bubble up, to claw away the fabric and thrust his fingers lower. 

He kisses her again this time letting it build up so that she chases his lips every time he pulls back and the want inside her swells and swells until a small whine escapes her. Her eyes fly open in surprise and he’s so close, his eyes wide blown and so dark. It makes that hot little spot between her legs thrum in further anticipation.

“ Can I touch you Betty?” Jughead asks and his voice sounds rough in a way that prickles her skin, goose bumps erupting at the low tenor of it.

She still can’t make her mouth move so she nods. It’s lovely that he’s asked. She’d have let him even if he hadn’t because she’s a hundred percent sure she wants this. But it’s still lovely.

His hands fumble a little as they undo the button on her skirt and slip under, skimming over the lace trim of her underwear, his breathing harsh in her ear- hot exhales that make her own mouth open, lips feeling parched after the wetness of his kisses. 

He puts his mouth on her neck again and sucks while his fingers begin a soft slow path down her panties, over the fabric and she feels embarrassed at how much heat there is between that little space and the fact that he can surely feel it emanating out. If anything that warmth seems to encourage him as he finally rubs two fingers over her slit. 

She’s been wet before but nothing prepares her for the feel of it against her core as he pushes the fabric down, three fingers rubbing up and down, up and down till she’s panting audibly.

“ Fuck.” Jughead groans into her neck and lifts his head up. His pupils are so dilated- mouth hanging slightly open, “ Fuck you’re wet-“

The moan that comes out of her mouth sounds desperate and Jughead quiets her by slipping his tongue in her mouth. He’s hard, his erection pressed along her thigh, one leg thrown over her knee so that he pins her down effectively. And just like that his curious fingers find her clit.

The sudden undiluted pleasure that shoots down her spine has her arching her back, “ Oh- “ Betty moans out, “- I- “ 

She doesn’t get to finish her sentence as Jughead begins to rub harsh, tight strokes on her clit with his thumb and his fingers grow more daring along her opening.

He licks her lower lip and her mouth opens again involuntarily. Jughead’s tongue licks along the roof of her mouth and there’s something so dirty and invasive about it yet feels good in a way that rattles her nerves. Her embarrassment tussles with the exponentially expanding pleasure that seems to erupt out of the very pores of her skin , till something dark and needy and wanton takes over and finally, finally there’s that blank white hot burst of such an alien, intense pleasure that it makes her lose her inhibitions and all she can think is more, more, more.

She comes with a sharp little cry against his fingers, still firmly wedged against her panties that are now soaked hopelessly- an increasingly uncomfortable reminder as she slowly comes down from the aftermath of her orgasm.

“ Wow.” She whispers and a soft laugh bubbles up as Jughead retracts his fingers and rubs them against his thigh. For a short second only she can see they’re glistening with her come and it makes the colour rise in her cheeks which is stupid really- 

“ You’re so beautiful.” Jughead tells her quietly and her eyes widen in surprise. 

“ I look like a mess.” She laughs out, shifting a little so that her legs are pressed together again although she wants nothing more now than to change her ruined underwear.

“ You look beautiful.” He repeats again and there’s something about his tone that she doesn’t refute him this time. Jughead just watches her for sometime and she’s beginning to feel self conscious again when he says with a dopey grin, “ That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Betty flushes again and glances at him, and the softness of his smile just does things to her. She looks pointedly at the bulge in his pants.

“ Can I help with that?” She asks shyly and Jughead shakes his head, taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers.

“ I’m good.” He whispers and shifts a little so that his lower half isn’t pressed against hers. She misses the heat of it instantly. 

“ I want to-“

“ It’s ok Betty,” he interrupts her and brings up their joined hands to press a small kiss on her fingers, “ Some other time. I’m good for now.”

There are a million questions burning at the tip of her tongue but then he pulls her close and kisses her again and as if he can tell how conflicted she feels he whispers again, “ Some other time.”

“ Okay.” She gulps and settles in the crook of his arm, her hand snaking up to lie softly right over his heart- the beat of which is steady and comforting. Lana’s crooning on the radio, sound low but she can make out the words:

There’s things I wanna say to you  
but I’ll just let you live

She closes her eyes and next to her Jughead’s hand comes to lie once again on her stomach, his skin on hers, her shirt pushed up a little. It’s warm. Solid.

She lets out a small contended sigh, low enough that he won’t hear. She should be moving; getting up, telling him to drive her home. But her mind feels slow and lazy. She wishes she could just stay curled in to him and forget everything else. 

Nothing like lying on your back, sleepy and content next to a warm body she thinks. Nothing like a pretty boy who’s given you your first ever orgasm.

Hold me, love me, touch me honey,  
be the first who ever did.

****

She’s billing a middle aged lady for soda and nachos, three days later when her phone starts ringing. It’s her mom which is unusual. It’s 7 pm and her mother is either at the office working late or home by now. Still it’s not like her to call while Betty’s at work. She may hold her daughter’s summer job in disdain but she’s too committed to her own work aesthetic to disturb Betty while she’s at the theatre unless it’s something important. 

“ Hey mom.” She says warily, picking up as soon as she’s handed the lady her change, “ What’s up?”

“ Betty!” Her mother’s voice sounds completely panicked over the phone and she’s already moving away from the counter and towards the office, anxiety pulsing. 

“ Mom what’s wrong?” She asks closing the door behind her and locking it. 

“ IT’S THAT MAN!” Her mother yells and Betty’s heart sinks. That man is clearly her father and whatever it is about him, is clearly not good. 

“ Let’s start at the beginning mom.” She sighs. 

A good twenty minutes and a throbbing headache later she unlocks the door and walks out of the office, feeling exhausted. Her parents have been at it for a good two months now but the recent incident is a new low. 

Jughead’s manning the stall as she walks towards him and he looks up from the book he’s reading, his eyes turning first soft (God how can that affect her like that even with her mind all over the place?) and then worried at the look on her face.

“ Where’d you disappear off too?” He asks his eyes flitting towards the phone clutched tightly in her hand and then back to her face.

“ Just the usual brand of bullshit my parents like to stir every once in a while.”

“ Oh.” He says looking almost startled at the venom she is sure her voice is full of.

Betty sighs, “ I don’t think I’ve actually told you this before but my parents got divorced at the beginning of summer.” 

Jughead grimaces and then looks away, nodding slightly.

“ I uhm- may have asked Toni about that...”

“ What?” She asks surprised,” When?”

Jughead looks uncomfortable, his ears turning pink so predictably it makes her heart ache, “ That time- you uh- started crying on the balcony- I asked Toni and although she didn’t really know what it was about she guessed it might be about that...”

“ Right.” She blinks, “ Right.”

“ I didn’t mean to snoop or be weird-“

“ No it’s fine, “ Betty interjects, shaking her head, “ God knows those two needed to be away from each other. My emotional outburst was harboured in nostalgia more than anything else.”

“ You wanna talk about it?”

“ Yeah I- we should take a break..” She suggests. If she wants to rip off this Band-Aid she wants at least some modicum of privacy.

He picks out a packet of M&Ms and some Junior mints and tucking her hand firmly in his own leads them upstairs. It’s hot outside but she still finds it easier to breathe. Jughead sits on the floor and then pulls her down so she’s sitting between his legs.

“ Spoonful of sugar?” He says holding out the candy to her and she picks out the mints. The chocolate melts in her mouth delightfully and she savours the sweetness; of the candy, of the boy cradling her.

It feels good talking to Jughead. It’s cathartic. The thing with Polly that’s been killing Betty most has been the inability to communicate with her about their parents. And as much as she loves Veronica and Archie and Kevin, the three of them haven’t really been around to watch her family’s implosion. It’s just not the same when you face time occasionally. And she’d spend that time talking about things that make her happy rather than the things that make her miserable.

“ So now the latest stunt my dad decided to pull was to bring his... “ Betty grimaces, “- his 23 year old girlfriend to work, suggesting they hire her for the spot they were holding interviews for. My mother lost it predictably and ended up throwing a brick through the window.”

Jughead gapes at that, “ Wow. That’s some next level shit.”

She sighs again, popping another mint in to her mouth so it’ll wash over the bitterness, “ I know. I just wish my parents would stop behaving like this. They just have to make it a competition about who gets to one up the other.”

Jughead strokes the tense muscles on her shoulders and the almost callused texture of his fingertips shoots a spike of pleasure up her spine. She melts in to his touch, like the candy in her mouth.

“ I’m sorry Betts. That’s rough.” He murmurs soothingly. Betty feels almost lulled by the sound of his voice.

“ Hmm yeah..” She responds almost lazily, “ What about your parents? Are they still together.”

Jughead’s quiet for a minute then makes a noncommittal sound, “ Uhm no.”

“ Okay...”

“ My mom’s not really in the picture anymore.” 

Betty waits for him to go on but he stays quiet. “ So they’re divorced?” She asks uncertainly, “ Or-“

“ Look Betty- I don’t want to unload my crap on you-“

He says it so abruptly that her heart plummets at the tone of his voice. His expression is tense, guarded. His entire attitude seems defensive and a strange kind of hurt flares up in her chest.

“ I don’t get that. I just spent the last twenty minutes ranting about my parents. Did you not want to hear that too?”

“ What? No!” He says looking stricken. He reaches for her hand and squeezes it, although his eyes are still guarded and she tries to swallow the lump that’s formed in her throat. She has no idea why she’s always on the verge of either euphoria or tears these days.

“ It’s just...it’s not a recent development like your family Betty. I just meant that you’ve got enough going on without having to hear about my shitty life.”

Betty blinks at him, trying to keep her voice from coming out too strangled, “ If I’m telling you things I want to know about you too.” She sniffs and rubs a hand across her cheek. The one still in his, curls in to his skin. “ Isn’t that how these things work.” She says in a small voice, “ Quid pro quo?”

Jughead looks at her sideways, a small wry smile forming on his lips and his eyes lose that hardened edge until something almost tender shines through. He squeezes her hand again and pulls her closer, putting an arm around her shoulder so that she’s tucked in to his side.

“ You’re something else Betty Cooper you know that?” He murmurs, “ I’m sorry if I came off as a dick but I’m just- not good about talking about this stuff-“ He shrugs, “ – I guess it’s a Southside trait. Most of us have so much shit going on we don’t really ever talk about it.”

“ But you know stuff about each other-“ She counters, voice muffled because her face is pressed in to his side still, “ I feel like I’m on the outside because there are so many things I don’t know about you- and I’m not saying...” She exhales loudly, “- I’m not saying you have to tell me everything but I do want to know some things Jug.”

He nods and she watches his Adam’s apple bob up and down. He waits a few more minutes like he’s wondering where to start and then finally lets out a deep breath.

“ So my mom left two years back. I was fifteen and things were...tense at home. My dad’s drinking was pretty bad and I guess she couldn’t stand it anymore.” He pauses and looks at her hesitantly, “ Well one night she just packed and left...she took my sister with her.” 

Her mouth falls open in shock, “ You have a sister? I didn’t know!”

“ Yeah she’s nine now-“ Jughead smiles at her wistfully, “ I miss her a lot and sometimes it’s just- easier not to talk about it.”

She feels an overwhelming sense of guilt wash over her at his words. She had no idea about his situation and she’d been making it all about herself.

“ I’m sorry Jug.” She says, trying to swallow the guilt, ” I had no idea.”

“ It’s ok- It’s- better now...my dad uhm- he’s been sober almost eight months now. He’s still holding on to his job for once. He’s working construction with Mr Andrews who I can’t thank enough. And-“ His eyes flit to hers again and his voice is low, “ -he’s less involved with the serpents now so...that’s good I guess.” 

Betty just sits there quietly, trying to process everything. No wonder he’d been reluctant to talk about himself. It makes her family life sound pretty tame in comparison. She presses her face in to his side once more, holding him closer.

“ Thank you for telling me Juggie. I’m sorry I pushed. I didn’t know-“

He drops a kiss on her temple and rests his chin on her head.

“ No don’t say that. I’m never too thrilled to talk about things at home but- I do want you to know stuff Betty. And this is a good place to start as any.”

Betty nods and looks up at him.

“ Everything you’ve told me shows you’re brave and sweet and wonderful.” She whispers and lightly traces his jaw. Jughead gives her a lopsided smile. 

“ My head’s going to explode if you shower me with compliments every time I tell you my sob story.”

Betty doesn’t say anything but pulls him down for a kiss. It starts out slow but builds up until he’s panting in her mouth. “ I can’t thank you enough for taking the last shift at Pop’s.” She mumbles against his lips, “ You’re the best thing that’s happened to me all summer.”

He pulls back and he doesn’t look conflicted or guarded anymore. Only happy.

“ Ditto.” He says and bumps her fist.

******

Her mother takes her shopping on Sunday for back to school supplies and Polly excuses herself to spend the day with Jason effectively leaving her alone in the company of their mother, which is a betrayal of the highest degree. 

She trudges half heartedly behind her mom, trying not to pay attention to the passive aggressive comments her she tends to make on such occasions. They end up buying several new Alice approved outfits and two pairs of shoes.

“ I need new underwear mom.” Betty tells her as they pay for the shoes and walk out of the store.

Alice frowns but leads to another shop they often get their stuff from. Betty picks out cotton panties and several bras. There’s a black matching set that looks especially appealing and she has a sudden image of wearing something like this while Jughead’s very dextrous fingers trace the pattern. The very thought of it makes her blush.

“ I don’t know what fantasy your hormone addled brain is harbouring but we are not getting that pair.” Her mother reprimands and as outraged as Betty is by her words she just does not have the energy to engage in any form of verbal combat. 

They get home late in the afternoon and after a light salad Betty goes to her room to take a nap. She hasn’t talked to Jughead all day out of fear of triggering her mother’s suspicions but she drops him a, “ Miss you” text before passing out on her bed.

It’s almost seven when Betty wakes up, her room almost dark. She feels sweaty and hungry and her phone tells her there’s no text from Jughead which is disappointing. After a quick shower she puts on some sweats and a tee-shirt and makes her way downstairs where her mom’s perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, lap top open. 

Her phone vibrates. It’s a text from Jughead telling her his phone’s battery had died while playing video games in Dilton’s basement.

(“ Heading to Pop’s for the night shift.” He texts.

“ Isn’t Sunday your day off?” She texts back.

“ Took my day off yesterday. Dad needed a ride to his meeting.”)

Out of nowhere she has the most intense craving for a milkshake at Pop’s. Betty looks at her mother who is busy at whatever she’s working on, calculating her chances.

“ Mom? A couple of friends are getting together at Pop’s for milkshakes. Can I please go?” She crosses her fingers behind her back holding her breath.

“ What friends?” comes Alice’s sharp response. She stares at Betty over the rim of her glassed, fingers paused over the keyboard and Betty swallows.

“ Just um- Valerie and Trev Brown.” She says hoping against hope her mother can’t tell she’s lying. Allice frowns but other than that doesn’t really look suspicious. 

“ No extra carbs. You can have a milkshake but that’s it. Be back by your curfew time.”

She blinks at her mother for several seconds too delighted to move and then hugs her impulsively. Alice tuts but gives her a pleased little smile.

“ Thanks mom.” She cries happily and skips upstairs to change, trying not to dwell too much on the fact that this is the third time in a month she’s lied to her mother over a boy.

The door bell at Pop’s rings as she enters almost fifteen minutes later and her eyes zero in over Jughead’s face as he’s standing right behind the cash register. He looks up and the second his eyes meet hers his face breaks in to a smile, the unadulterated happiness on it so obvious it gives her butterflies. 

“ Hey you. This is a seriously pleasant surprise..” He muses coming around the counter immediately and she grins goofily at him snaking her hand through his.

“ Got a minute?” Betty asks squeezing his hand and he nods.

“ For you? Of course.” He pulls her through the kitchen door towards the small backyard through a backdoor, where the kids often take a break.

They pass Pop on the way who calls out a greeting to Betty and his eyes follow the way their hands are linked, his bushy eyebrows widening in surprise. 

Outside Jughead has her pushed against the wall in a second, his mouth glued to hers like he’s just going to suck out all the air in her lungs. Maybe he does because she feels lightheaded by the time she pulls back, sighing happily against his chest, fingers curled in to his uniform shirt.

“ I missed you so much all day. Just wanted to make sure you were real and not the made up fantasy of my hormone addled brain to quote my mom.” She breathes against his mouth 

He grins at her and lets his hands wander down her waist, over the back pockets of her jeans and cups her ass. Her breath comes out a little strangled. His hands have been getting bolder since their date, exploring and curious and this butt-grab is a new one. She pulls back, her lower lip trapped in her teeth, colour high in her cheeks, staring at him.

“ Want me to pinch you?” He grins toothily and she giggles at the innuendo, snuggling in to him again.

“ I wish you didn’t have to work.” Betty pouts, “ I wish you could take me someplace right now.”

“ Yeah?” 

“ Yeah.”

“ I could ask Ethel to cover my shift. She owes me one.”

That’s all he says and suddenly the possibilities are endless. It’s only eight o’ clock and she only has to be home by ten. Her heart begins hammering painfully.

“ Are you sure?” She asks and her voice comes out breathless and squeaky.

“ Yeah. Could you give me twenty minutes? I’ll call her and then we can leave as soon as she gets here.” He already sounds so eager, eyes focused on her so intently and it makes her feel warm all over.

“ Yeah. Of course.” 

Inside he gets her a vanilla milkshake and she shakes her head at him, eyes dancing, “ Is this our thing now? You get me a milkshake in return for...sexual favours?”

Jughead barks out a laugh so loud the couple sitting in the next booth actually turns around to glare at them. He winks at her as he retreats towards the kitchen. She sips her milkshake slowly as she waits, keeping an eye on the old wall clock and on Jughead who flits in and out of the kitchen bringing or taking orders. Ethel bursts in through the diner door looking a little frazzled, fifteen minutes later. She makes a beeline for the kitchen and Jughead emerges five minutes later changed already, jamming his beanie on his head and she evacuates her booth immediately.

They cross the parking lot his arm thrown around her shoulder and he asks, “ So where should we go?”

“ We could go to your place-“ She suggests tentatively. Jughead tenses slightly, something wary and guarded in his eyes like that day on the balcony and her heart lurches painfully.

“ Or not-“ She says hurriedly, shaking her head frantically to emphasize her point“ We could just take the truck somewhere.“

Jughead chews his lip then says quietly, “ No -the trailer’s actually the only place where we could have some privacy. My dad’s at the Wyrm on Sundays.”

“ You’re sure?” She asks again. “ We can go someplace else-“

“ I’m sure Betts.” He says then leaning forward pecks her on the cheek and murmurs slyly, “ Any chance to get you in my bed is good.” 

She gasps and smacks him on his arm but her cheeks are pink and the slight anxiety that had suddenly flared, dissipates immediately. 

“ Do you plan on ruining my reputation sir.” She asks and is delighted when he pinches her chin and says, “ Absolutely.”

They drive to Sunnyside trailer park in relative silence, which is by no means strained but also not the same degree of comfortable she’s now used to with him. Jughead for all his feigned nonchalance, is fidgety and nervous. She can tell it in the way his hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white.

The second they enter the trailer park she gets why. The only time she’s caught glimpses of this place is while driving by it and those have been few and far between. Now as they drive through the place all she can think is how miserable it all looks. She bites her lip trying to control herself from saying something that will sound condescending.

They finally stop near a trailer that looks no different from the others, save for a barbecue grill that’s standing forlorn in the small yard.

“ Come on.” Jughead motions to her and she unbuckles her seatbelt feeling slightly anxious. He gets out of the truck and she follows him, her boots crunching on the gravel. They climb up the few steps that creak slightly and Jughead takes out a key from underneath the mat. 

It’s too dark to be sure but Betty thinks the worn out letters read ‘ WELCOME’.

There’s a warm glow inside that puts a softer edge on everything. The place looks neat but sparse. There’s an ugly looking clock on the kitchen wall and random pictures but it’s too dimly lit to actually try and figure out what they are.

“ I give the grand tour on Wednesdays and Saturdays only so you’re out of luck.” Jughead says and Betty grins at him trying to put him at ease. He still looks a little uncomfortable and she suddenly feels guilty again for insisting they come here. 

“ It’s nice.” She smiles encouragingly and he shrugs.

“ You want coffee? Uhm- something to eat? I can make you peanut butter sandwiches.“

“ I’m good.” Betty responds and impulsively holds out her hand. He takes it softly and she edges closer, something like regret lodged in her throat. “ Thank you for bringing me here.” She murmurs against his chest, “ I’m sorry I asked-“

“ Hey no it’s fine.” Jughead pulls back and tips her chin up, booping her nose, “ come on let’s go to my room.”

The short walk from the kitchen to his bedroom is hardly three steps, a threadbare rug covering the floor. Her mind seems unable to stop noting these little details.

His room is tiny. But it’s truly Jughead.

Everywhere her eyes land there are piles upon piles of books. Books on a little shelf, books on his bedside table. Books piled in a way to serve as another little table on which his laptop is currently residing. There are movie posters on the wall, all old Hollywood except one for Reservoir Dogs. His tiny twin bed is neatly made up, the bedsheet a faded blue. Betty takes it all in: the coffee stains on his table, the slightly chipped wall paper hidden under all those posters yet brash enough to peek out from places that can’t be covered, the way the small window has a hand stitched curtain half drawn to let in a breeze, the wonderful quiet intimacy of his bedroom.

There’s a small vase with plastic flowers in the windowsill.

“ These are nice.” Betty says quietly, touching a petal. Her finger comes back dusty.

Jughead makes a noncommittal sound, “ Not really my style but my mom left them lying around and I figured they could use some sunlight. Not that they need it.”

Betty nods but doesn’t say anything.

“ She used to like flowers. There weren’t a lot here at the trailer park so she’d get the artificial ones like these.” He rubs his neck in that characteristic way he was- the one she associates most with his discomfort- and shrugs, “ I guess she didn’t think they were pretty enough to take along when she left.”

He doesn’t say it but the unsaid “ like me” is hanging like a burden between them and she wants nothing more than to soothe him.

“ They look pretty enough on the windowsill. I like your room, it’s like you.”

Jughead raises an eyebrow.“ You mean cheap and pathetic?” He says derisively. His tone is light but there’s nothing funny about the joke.

“ No.” Betty shakes her head stepping towards him and cupping his face gently,” A little rough around the edges but surprisingly lovely on the inside.”

He looks at her like he’s just dying a little bit and crashes his mouth on hers, desperate and uncertain -almost like the first time, like he still can’t believe he’s allowed to do this with her. The want in it makes her toes curl, makes her breathless and needy for things she’s only daydreamed about vaguely. It makes her think of Polly and her forevers. 

The though is so sudden and intrusive she pulls back. Jughead’s chest is heaving, his mouth a little open and she doesn’t want to think of anything other than the here and now. 

“ Can we make out on your bed?” She asks before she can say something stupid. It feels like the best use for her mouth and tongue given all the dangerous routes her brain is pursuing.

Jughead smiles crookedly at her, “ Sure...if that’s what you want.”

“ What do you want?”

“ Same. And- ” He says giving her pony tail a soft tug, the same lop sided grin on his face, “- also to lock you up in a tower.”

A giggle bursts out of her mouth, bubbly and mirthful and she pushes him back almost forcefully on his bed. He lands with a thud, mouth opening in shock but then her hands slowly move towards the buttons of her blouse and Jughead looks like he doesn’t know what to do anymore. 

Her heart is hammering and she’s trying to stop her hands from trembling too much as one by one the buttons come undone. There’s a black lace bralette she’s wearing underneath and she (as much as she knows it looks good on her, makes her boobs look fuller and prettier than they are) finds herself feeling slightly stupid as she stands with her shirt undone all the way down but unable to slip it off her shoulders. Her eyes flicker helplessly to his- looking back at her, the colour of a storm now, dark and wild.

“ Betty c’mere.” He murmurs and holds out his hand. She swallows, although her mouth feels dry as he pulls her closer. He guides her between his legs and she just lets herself fall in to him, eager to let him share in this undressing of all parts of herself she hasn’t ever wanted to show to any one before.

He slips the shirt off and she latches her mouth to his again, bending down and straddling him, her hands moving now with a strange kind of urgency as she pulls up the hem of his shirt, and he pulls back his lips from hers for a second only to help her push it over his head and arms and then he’s kissing her again, the same desperation fuelling them now. She takes his left hand and pushes it against her chest, right over her heart.

“Oh fuck.” He breathes into her neck, voice rough and she closes her eyes tightly. There’s just too much to feel. His body is a furnace around her, pressed against her so that her body is cushioned by the hard sinewy length of him. 

“ Betty.” He’s breathing hard in a way that gives her air hunger too, the way he says her name and then slowly kisses her neck, mouth open. Her own mouth opens too, involuntarily at the little shock that wetness on her skin induces. He’s sucking little kisses on her shoulder and on her collar bones, his hands finally growing bolder as he begins to palm her breast.

Her breath comes out in a sharp whimper and he seems to like that sound so much, his right hand snakes up too, fondling the softness of her other breast. There’s a lack of finesse in the way he touches her here, like he can’t help himself as he palms her roughly, almost greedily. It’s different from the cleverness of his mouth and it makes her want him all the more.

She takes a deep breath and reaching back to unclasp her bra lets it fall, the straps slipping down obediently.

“ Holy fuck.” Jughead groans, “ Holy fuck.” 

Betty giggles feeling bold and wild and taking both his hands in hers, presses his large bony fingers to her breasts once more.

“ Oh shit..” He rasps out and runs his hands over them, giving her nipples a small tug and Betty moans out in ecstasy, her head falling back. She’s so lost in the pleasure of just that feeling that she doesn’t realize he’s dipped down until his mouth closes around one hard nipple, warm and wet and so eager.

“ Oh.” She gasps, her fingers curling involuntarily in his hair as her back arches, “ Oh my-ah!”

His teeth jolt her and she turns wide shocked eyes to him but he just grins in return, then pressing another warm kiss between her breasts he whispers, “ These are fucking amazing baby.”

She laughs and cups his face forcing his chin up because he’s still looking at her breasts. His eyes are blown wide when he does finally look up and she rubs her thumb across his lower lip. Everything about him is beautiful.

“ Baby?” Betty asks in a fond whisper.

His ears are a bright shade of red and there’s a bashful smile on his face, “ Yeah-“ he mumbles, “ Is that ok?”

Betty nods biting her lip, “ It’s good. I like it.”

Jughead kisses her again then shifts back a little, making enough space to lay her down and once she’s settled against his pillow, comes to lie between her legs again. She can feel the hard outline of him against her centre.

“ Juggie I want to touch you.” She almost pleads, grasping his hand so it won’t move lower.

He makes a strangled sound against her neck but nods and she lets her hands wander slowly over the well defined planes of his chest and abdomen. He’s not built like some of the guys she knows, including Archie, but the hint of muscle there is toned and taut and it makes her feel things just having this liberty to touch him leisurely.

She palms him over his jeans and Jughead drops his forehead on her shoulder. His breathing is already strained as he unconsciously grinds against her hand and breathes, “ Fuck Betts.”

Feeling slightly bolder, she pops the button on his jeans and pushes his boxers lower, taking him out. He’s hard and bewilderingly warm in her hand. She gives a few experimental pumps, trying to figure out what he likes but Jughead’s eyes are closed and from what she can make of his expression, he likes everything. His jaw is tense, chest heaving again and once, when she grips him harder his entire body clenches and he curses several times in a voice so rough it’s hard to recognise.

His hand guides her when she’s built up some kind of a rhythm and she begins pressing soft wet kisses on the underside of his jaw. She senses Jughead’s entire body tense when he’s close, the muscles in his arm bunching up where she’s got her fingers curled and then suddenly he’s coming in her hand, his own covering hers tightly. His hips jerk against her as he rides out his orgasm and then finally stills, panting harshly in her ear.

“ Fuck.” Jughead breathes and laughs out lowly, “ Fuck that was so good.”

“ Yeah?” Betty asks feeling pleased as he pulls himself up and hands her tissues so she can clean up the mess in her hands. He throws the tissues in a bin next to his bed and lies down next to her again.

“ Absolutely. Your turn.” He mouths against her jaw and she’s about to tell him she’s good and that she had better wash her hands but then his hand moves south and he’s touching her in a way that immediately makes her mind go blank.

He makes her come with his fingers while his other hand presses insistently on one breast and his mouth works between kissing and licking the other. She falls apart in a matter of minutes and by the time he’s helped her clean up again (making her blush when he wipes her down there because strangely enough that feels even more intimate somehow) she’s so exhausted it feels like she’s been running a marathon. 

Afterwards when they’re lying both still a little breathless and blissfully tired, she finds herself thinking again about the things that have been plaguing her all week. About the way the end of summer is suddenly looming ahead and the fact that they haven’t told anyone what’s going on between them or the fact that there are so many things she wants to say to him and ask of him but she doesn’t know if she can.

“ I can practically hear your wheels turning.” Jughead mumbles. His voice sounds scratchy and rough. It’s ridiculous how much something like that can effect her even with the tight ball of anxiety rolling around in her gut. 

“ Jug...”

“ Hmmm...”

She tries to keep her tone casual, “ What happens when school starts?”

There she’s said it. The thing that’s been killing her more than anything else. She’s staring at his face, heart beating a mile a minute and there’s a prickling sensation at the back of her eyes. 

“ Jug we’re not just a summer fling right?”

He waits a beat then says teasingly,“ I don’t think you can call it a fling until you’ve had actual sex.”

She swats his arm, a watery smile creeping up her face.

“ Juggie..” It comes out a little whiny and he pulls her closer, burying his face in her neck.

“ It was never just a summer fling for me Betty.” He says quietly and she closes her eyes, curling up in to his side and after a few seconds his arm comes to rest gently around her waist. There’s a strange lump forming in her throat that she can’t seem to swallow.

“ It’s not just that for me either.”

He presses a soft kiss on her temple. “ Okay.” 

“ So- we’re dating?”

“ Yeah I guess...”

“ And it won’t just be over when-“ She screws her eyes shut tighter so the moisture won’t spill out, “- we won’t just be over right?”

“ No. As long as you’re in, I’m in.”

She swallows with difficulty and shifts, throwing her arms around his neck, “ I’m in. I’m so in.”

His mouth curves in to a smile: soft and lovely and boyish. Her heart feels lighter than it’s felt all week.

“ So you’re my boyfriend?” She asks. Maybe she’s pushing her luck now but he’s not running in the opposite direction so it’s got to be okay.

“ Sure. Or your gentleman caller. Or your bae-“

Betty giggles, “ I hate that word.”

“ You wound me Cooper. I’ve been dreaming of the day I’d get a picture captioned bae on social media.”

“ I can still do that if you want.” Betty teases, then thinking about it says, “ Jug I want to tell our friends about us.”

He twirls a lone strand of her hair around his finger and his eyes look shy but happy when he says, “ I want to as well.”

“ Okay.” Betty says and seals the deal with one more hot press of her lips to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh orgasms and communication...was there ever a more perfect relationship. One last chapter to go lovelies. I would absolutely loveeeeeee your feedback! Your comments and kudos mean the world to me! I'm @honestlyhappymoon on tumblr:)

**Author's Note:**

> Short one I know!! I'll be updating soon with more of bughead and Ernie! I like that sassy dude:) please drop a comment and kudos..your words make me so so happy!! I'm @honestlyhappymoon on tumblr if you guys wanna come say hi;* Much love!!


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